EDITOR’S NOTE: Hiking the degree pass mark is not a magic bullet to better standards
Oct 26, 2010
THE pass mark for degrees in private and public universities has been raised under a new grading system aimed at improving the academic standards in universities.
THE pass mark for degrees in private and public universities has been raised under a new grading system aimed at improving the academic standards in universities.
The grading, issued by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), is a step in the right direction. A higher pass mark will force students to read harder and do more research.
However, the move does not address the fundamental causes of poor standards in universities. The assumption of the grading system is that a student who gets a first class degree from a renowned old university with adequate facilities is assumed to be at the same level with a student who scores the same grade from, a university that is hardly five years old with no adequate facilities. Increasing the pass mark is not the magic bullet to improving the quality of standards in universities.
Universities should address issues of poor staffing and academic facilities. Most universities have facilities serving more than half of the population they were meant to serve. Some universities are duplicating courses to attract more numbers. Makerere University has taken measures to reverse the trend by scrapping irrelevant courses and restructuring others.
Universities should invest more in research. They must be able to continuously carry out research recognised at the international level. Universities should also aim at increasing publications, citations, and winning exclusive international awards.
Budding universities should not engage in a cut throat competition with well established universities. Established Universities also started off with programmes which were not tested immediately but after a long time through the products or graduates who passed through those universities.
The status of international standards cannot be achieved in one year or five; it takes time, even more than a generation.
The grading, issued by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), is a step in the right direction. A higher pass mark will force students to read harder and do more research.
However, the move does not address the fundamental causes of poor standards in universities. The assumption of the grading system is that a student who gets a first class degree from a renowned old university with adequate facilities is assumed to be at the same level with a student who scores the same grade from, a university that is hardly five years old with no adequate facilities. Increasing the pass mark is not the magic bullet to improving the quality of standards in universities.
Universities should address issues of poor staffing and academic facilities. Most universities have facilities serving more than half of the population they were meant to serve. Some universities are duplicating courses to attract more numbers. Makerere University has taken measures to reverse the trend by scrapping irrelevant courses and restructuring others.
Universities should invest more in research. They must be able to continuously carry out research recognised at the international level. Universities should also aim at increasing publications, citations, and winning exclusive international awards.
Budding universities should not engage in a cut throat competition with well established universities. Established Universities also started off with programmes which were not tested immediately but after a long time through the products or graduates who passed through those universities.
The status of international standards cannot be achieved in one year or five; it takes time, even more than a generation.