Ministry, commentator talk rigorous audit in institutions of higher learning
Kabwila: We will soon start the process where everyone in the higher education institution will be handing in their qualification, what they're teaching
An education expert is backing the idea of auditing institutions of higher learning rigorously saying this can positively impact the output of human resources.
At the weekend, higher education minister Jessie Kabwila mentioned that the ministry is set to conduct a thorough audit of accreditation for education institutions and qualifications.
This comes in response to the alarming rise of fake qualifications on the job market which Jessie Kabwila says higher learning institutions need to provide necessary programs and issue legitimate qualifications.
Kabwila believes the audit will help to address illegitimate qualifications, which have serious consequences to employers and the economy.
She said: “We will soon start the process where everyone in the higher education institution will be handing in their qualification, what they’re teaching.
The aim is to scrutinize whether graduates went to an accredited institution or if they attended an accredited program because the two have to go hand in hand.”
Victor Chikoti, an education expert from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), welcomed the idea saying: “If a person is learned, they would be able to impact the learners positively, giving them the right type of education, the right type of skills and the right type of knowledge.
And it is this type of skill, this type of knowledge that these learners now graduates will take to industry,” Chikoti said
His emphasis dwelt on how the initiative will affect the quality of human resources in relation to institutions of higher learning.
“The quality of work that these people will be doing when they go to industry reflects what they were taught in the universities which also has a bearing on the reputation at the country level.
If we have professors whose qualifications are questionable, the result is that will be reflected on Malawi as a nation,” Chikoti said.
The government through the Ministry of Higher Education has been collaborating with the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) to, among others, ensure sanity in the sector with a particular focus on ensuring that universities and colleges are accredited.
About The Author
