Education ministers from the East African Community (EAC) partner
states’ have opposed a new system of granting the regional grouping
powers to accredit universities in all member countries. The
ministers objected to this during a regional forum of EAC Sectoral
Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports in
Tanzania. An amendment had been proposed in section 6 of the
Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) to let the body grant
regional accreditation for universities. Speaking to The New Times
yesterday, Education Minister, Dr. Charles Murigande said that the
partner states have respective institutions charged with granting
accreditation to universities. “We did not think that it would
be wise for another institution to accredit EAC universities when we
have not harmonized our education systems,” he said. The
Minister added that they didn’t mean that it should be forgotten and
thrown out forever, after harmonizing the education systems and
training curricula, they will revisit it.
The ministers agreed that
the partner states had national regulatory bodies, established by law,
that give them power to accredit national and foreign institutions and
academic programmes. “The Sectoral Council asserted that the
Bill would cause two parallel systems for accreditation and would
impinge on the principles of sovereignty as provided for in the EAC
Treaty,” said a statement issued after the meeting. However, the
ministers directed that a study report on the harmonization of
education systems and training curricula in the region be reviewed to
capture recommendations made by partner states.
New Times
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