It is good to hear again that the government is thinking about and may be planning to establish a national university. A need for a national university for the country is long over due. As a result of the continuous deferment of its establishment by successive governments, they (government) bear the full cost of sending students to regional universities, which at times, they barely can afford.

If this government is true to its plan, the establishment of an university will enable more people both young and old to access university education at home. It will also be cost effective for the government to fund more scholarship for its people.

The only issue I have about the government's proposed plan in providing more tertiary edicational access to its people is whether they can meet the cost of supporting USP fourth campus, the upgrading of SICHE and the new national university. I would rather think that the most economical approach the government could take in establishing a national university is simply to amend the SICHE act of parliament to cater for a national university and to support the current course reviews and development taking place at SICHE now to univeristy level.

I think that having SICHE, a national university and supportng the USP fourth campus will be a big financial burden to our small economy.

Hem no moa.