Beware 120 tertiary institutions are illegal
Aug 21, 2007
IF you are a student in a tertiary institution, it is possible that at the end of the course, you will get a qualification nobody recognises. This is because of the 137 private tertiary institutions in the country, only 17 are licensed to operate, according to the National Council for Higher Educati
By Tony Barigye
and John Eremu
IF you are a student in a tertiary institution, it is possible that at the end of the course, you will get a qualification nobody recognises. This is because of the 137 private tertiary institutions in the country, only 17 are licensed to operate, according to the National Council for Higher Education.
This revelation came last week while Arthur Muguzi the Council’s finance officer was handing over a provisional licence to Datamine Technical and Business Institute.
Information obtained from the Council indicates that the licensed tertiary institutions include Bishop Barham College, Pearl Crest Hospitality Training Institute, Uganda Baptist Seminary, Makerere Institute of Social Development, Kampala evangelical School of theology, Skills Resource Centre, Psychological Training Institute, Kabale Institute of Health Science, Ernest Cook and Ultra Sound Educational Centre, Team Business College and Management and Accountancy Training Company Limited.
Others include the College for Professional Development, International School of Business and Technology, Multitech Accountancy Programme, Datamine Technical Business School, St. Joseph Polytechnic Institute and Nyamitanga College of Business Studies.
The Council’s executive director Prof. A.B. Kasozi explained that all tertiary institutions including those that existed before the council became operational in 2003 should have applied for fresh licences.
He warned warned that awards of unlicensed institutions may not be recognised. The assistant executive director, Yeko Acato, said some institutions had picked the Council’s data forms while the rest have not yet done so.
The institutions are supposed to provide preliminary information in the forms before Council officials pay a visit to verify whether the institutions merit licensing.
Before a licence is granted the institution must fulfill certain conditions, which include essential physical structures for academic, administrative and technical support services, including an administration block, lecture halls, seminar rooms, library, laboratory, students’ hostels and staff housing as per Council capacity indicators.
It should also have a well-developed operational procedures, by-laws and regulations approved by Institutions Council or governing board, well-qualified and experienced permanent staff, and agree to regular inspection by the council.
Acato explained that some institutions could be hesitant to apply to Council to legalise their existence because they do not meet the conditions for licensing.
The licensing of tertiary institutions is done in two stages
First, a provisional licence valid for two years is given, which authorises the institution to admit students. However, before the students graduate, the institution must have applied to be granted a certificate of registration and classification.
“The certificate of classification means that the award of an institution is equivalent in merit to those of public tertiary institutions or other classified private institutions,†Muguzi explained.
Before an institution acquires a certificate of registration and classification, its awards are not considered equivalent in merit to those awarded by registered institutions.
The provisional licence is only granted as an interim measure to give time to the institution to meet all the requirements for registration and classification.
If it does not make any efforts to get registered, then its students’ academic qualifications are not recognised by other institutions like universities.
and John Eremu
IF you are a student in a tertiary institution, it is possible that at the end of the course, you will get a qualification nobody recognises. This is because of the 137 private tertiary institutions in the country, only 17 are licensed to operate, according to the National Council for Higher Education.
This revelation came last week while Arthur Muguzi the Council’s finance officer was handing over a provisional licence to Datamine Technical and Business Institute.
Information obtained from the Council indicates that the licensed tertiary institutions include Bishop Barham College, Pearl Crest Hospitality Training Institute, Uganda Baptist Seminary, Makerere Institute of Social Development, Kampala evangelical School of theology, Skills Resource Centre, Psychological Training Institute, Kabale Institute of Health Science, Ernest Cook and Ultra Sound Educational Centre, Team Business College and Management and Accountancy Training Company Limited.
Others include the College for Professional Development, International School of Business and Technology, Multitech Accountancy Programme, Datamine Technical Business School, St. Joseph Polytechnic Institute and Nyamitanga College of Business Studies.
The Council’s executive director Prof. A.B. Kasozi explained that all tertiary institutions including those that existed before the council became operational in 2003 should have applied for fresh licences.
He warned warned that awards of unlicensed institutions may not be recognised. The assistant executive director, Yeko Acato, said some institutions had picked the Council’s data forms while the rest have not yet done so.
The institutions are supposed to provide preliminary information in the forms before Council officials pay a visit to verify whether the institutions merit licensing.
Before a licence is granted the institution must fulfill certain conditions, which include essential physical structures for academic, administrative and technical support services, including an administration block, lecture halls, seminar rooms, library, laboratory, students’ hostels and staff housing as per Council capacity indicators.
It should also have a well-developed operational procedures, by-laws and regulations approved by Institutions Council or governing board, well-qualified and experienced permanent staff, and agree to regular inspection by the council.
Acato explained that some institutions could be hesitant to apply to Council to legalise their existence because they do not meet the conditions for licensing.
The licensing of tertiary institutions is done in two stages
First, a provisional licence valid for two years is given, which authorises the institution to admit students. However, before the students graduate, the institution must have applied to be granted a certificate of registration and classification.
“The certificate of classification means that the award of an institution is equivalent in merit to those of public tertiary institutions or other classified private institutions,†Muguzi explained.
Before an institution acquires a certificate of registration and classification, its awards are not considered equivalent in merit to those awarded by registered institutions.
The provisional licence is only granted as an interim measure to give time to the institution to meet all the requirements for registration and classification.
If it does not make any efforts to get registered, then its students’ academic qualifications are not recognised by other institutions like universities.