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.

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