Verifying qualifications a burden, says education council
Jul 08, 2007
The National Council for Higher Education has asked the Government to relieve them of the task of verifying qualifications of politicians vying for elective office.
By Geresom Musamali
The National Council for Higher Education has asked the Government to relieve them of the task of verifying qualifications of politicians vying for elective office.
The council verifies the qualification of persons seeking political office but do not possess the Advanced School Certificate.
Speaking at the inauguration of new members on Friday, Prof. Frederick Kayanja, the council chairman, requested Gabriel Opio, the minister for higher education, to allocate the responsibility to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).
“Parliament gave us responsibility hitherto carried out by UNEB. This responsibility has taken away our scarce human resource from key roles of regulating and monitoring higher education.â€
But Opio insisted that the council was best placed to carry out the scrutiny.
Kayanja also pointed out that the council does not recognise Makerere University Business School as a university. He noted that there were institutions operating outside the law, adding that the council had employed a legal officer to handle such cases
Opio was concerned that the ratio of students seeking university education was higher compared to those at vocational institutions.
“At least 40% of students should be going to vocational institutions. But we are busy destroying vocational institutions to create universities,†Opio said while referring to the Masaka Technical Institute, which was recently returned to the Buganda Kingdom.
The National Council for Higher Education has asked the Government to relieve them of the task of verifying qualifications of politicians vying for elective office.
The council verifies the qualification of persons seeking political office but do not possess the Advanced School Certificate.
Speaking at the inauguration of new members on Friday, Prof. Frederick Kayanja, the council chairman, requested Gabriel Opio, the minister for higher education, to allocate the responsibility to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).
“Parliament gave us responsibility hitherto carried out by UNEB. This responsibility has taken away our scarce human resource from key roles of regulating and monitoring higher education.â€
But Opio insisted that the council was best placed to carry out the scrutiny.
Kayanja also pointed out that the council does not recognise Makerere University Business School as a university. He noted that there were institutions operating outside the law, adding that the council had employed a legal officer to handle such cases
Opio was concerned that the ratio of students seeking university education was higher compared to those at vocational institutions.
“At least 40% of students should be going to vocational institutions. But we are busy destroying vocational institutions to create universities,†Opio said while referring to the Masaka Technical Institute, which was recently returned to the Buganda Kingdom.