That one of these days, thousands of students in the country could be summarily driven out from universities and colleges across the country because they have been admitted to the institutions without meeting minimum academic qualifications is a case in point.
The Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training has already expelled a total of 489 students at the privately owned St. Joseph University in Tanzania (SJUIT) who were admitted despite failing in their secondary education examinations.
According to the minister those who have been expelled lacked the academic qualifications to be enrolled in simple certificate programmes. There were even some students at the university who were found be holders of only ‘O Level Education.’ She says many of them are even receiving government student subsidy.
Truly, education has become a cash cow industry in Tanzania, with owners of private schools, colleges and universities accused of lowering standards to boost student enrolment so as to enhance financial gains.
In this regard we feel that the government has taken a positive move by President John Magufuli sacking the chairman of the state run Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) Prof Awadh Mawenya for failing to take action against the students in the emerging college admission scandal.
The minister has also suspended the TCU executive secretary, Prof Yunus Mgaya and four other officials over the same shame.
Other TCU officials suspended include the director of accreditation and quality assurance, Dr Savinus Maronga and director of admission and documentation, Rose Kiishweko.
Another TCU official involved in the dubious admission of St. Joseph University is Kimboka Istambuli.We are glad that this government has opened the floodgates for more phony college students to be rusticated if they are found to have haphazardly gained admission.
By going contrary to its obligations TCU has let Tanzanians down. TCU’s mandate includes, among others, advising the education minister on any matter of University education and to provide guidance and monitor –criteria for student admission to universities in the country.
Others are to consider and make recommendations to the minister regarding the upgrading or downgrading of the status of a university, to monitor and regulate general management and performance of universities and quality assurance in higher education.
One of the biggest assignments is to consider applications from persons, companies, or organizations seeking to establish universities or programmes in the United Republic and make recommendations to the minister.
The faults committed by TCU do not reflect the aims it has been bestowed to safeguard. The present university enrolment scam goes against vision of being a world-class higher education regulatory agency supporting systematic growth and excellence of university education in Tanzania nor does it go with its mission of promoting accessible, equitable and harmonized quality university education systems that produce nationally and globally competitive outputs.
In that way the minister must deal with the unfaithful officials ruthlessly.
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