Malawi: Minister of Higher Education, Dr Jessie Kabwila, has announced that the government is committed to improving standards of higher education in the country.
Kabwila terms fake degrees and poor education standards to be equivalent to cancer that eats away the fabric of society. She said that these issues can take away from the value of hard work, excellence, meritocracy.
She said that the promotion of these activities hampers the integrity and accountability that are essential for the development of the nation. The education stakeholders of Malawi are working hard to do away with all the inadequacies in the system.
The authorities have claimed that they are in a fight against fake degrees and low standards of higher education. It is a fight for the soul of our nation which requires collective efforts from various stakeholders.
The sector stakeholders need support to uphold the values of honesty, integrity, and excellence that are important for the achievement of the country’s development plans.
She said government has set up steps to deal with fake institutions, fake degrees or papers, and quality education issues. The government has made sure that all higher education institutions are registered with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
The government is also conducting quality assurance audits to make sure that they combat low higher education standards. Furthermore, the administration is developing a higher education bill that will institute inspectors in higher education institutions.
Minister of Higher Education, Dr Jessie Kabwila urged all higher education institutions and employers to audit certificates of their employees. She added that if there is a doubt on the authenticity of the certificates, they must contact NCHE or relevant authorities for verification.
Chief Executive Officer for NCHE, Dr Ambumulire Phiri, said the institution is dedicated in improving quality of education. They are taking broader steps in sensitising the masses on suitable standards of higher education systems in the country through various platforms.
Phiri also asked all higher learning institutions in the country to set up quality assurance standards. This will help them avoid being deregistered by the council.