Government has said it would not hesitate to shut down colleges that fail to meet stipulated standards of operating as institutions of higher learning in the country.
Science and Technology Deputy Minister, Lucy Changwe, said colleges should ensure that they provide quality education to their students in order to benefit the country.
Ms. Changwe was speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Kelvin Kamuwanga in Chipata yesterday.
She said all institutions of higher learning should register with the Technical Vocation Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA) and adhere to all guidelines to ensure that their learning environment was conducive.
“We are on record of saying we are not wasting time and we are going to shut or deregister those that do not follow the regulations,” she said.
She said stakeholders in Zambia have a duty of reporting to relevant authorities, any learning institution that fails to operate in accordance with the specified TEVETA guidelines.
The Deputy Minister said government would like to work with genuine institutions which would provide quality tertiary education in the program of Private, Public Partnership (PPP).
Ms. Changwe also said government wanted to see the higher learning institutions stressing the importance of enrolling girl children as stipulated in the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) plans to empower women.
The minister was right if the institutions are up to date with current world needs. Need to update their curriculum if they are to hold colleges accountable.
What are the TEVETA guidlines? Please Ms Minister(less) or D/Minister(less) Changwe, post them in the newspapers, run adverts on TV stations and on posts them on posters so that we can know when it is necessary to report the institutions that may be found wanting.
#2 you are right,another issue with this private colleges is the level of qualification of the staff.Its rare to see them advertising for lecture positions with stipulated accademic qualifications.Who and how they employ nobody knows.Teveta should also think of upgrading some of the colleges to polytechnic institutes, awarding different diplomas and higher diplomas,they should starting operating at variable levels of the educational system.
There is a lot of nonsense going onback home. How can a diploma holder teach a student who will get the same qualification? How do the colleges on Cairo Road get licences to operate? In Zambia we need to team up to do open schools/colleges and make one big instituition instead of Utu Ntemba schools at every corner offering poor standards of education that do not take students anywhere when they grduate.
What do you expect, TEVETA is maned by the like of Duncan Mushala. Hon. Deputy Minister Changwe, how can we expect quality when we see nothing but selfish unethical people like Duncan Mushala and his Christine working for TEVETA? TEVETA has great potential, it just need a change of focus and some accountability.
PLEASE LET YOUR MINISTRY HAVE ACCESSABLE DATA ONLINE SO THAT INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS CAN READ ABOUT OUR ZAMBIAN QUALIFICATIONS.IT IS A SHAME TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOLING AND THEY CAN NEVER GET ANY ONE TO VERIFY IT.NOTHING,NADA.