Vet varsities to avoid ‘paper graduates’

Editor,I commend the efforts of the Government of Rwanda to attract and facilitate top regional and international universities to invest in the education sector in Rwanda. However, I think that we also have to be somehow careful: Do those universities have efficient infrastructure? Do they have their own, sufficient staff? How much number of students in their classes?

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Editor,I commend the efforts of the Government of Rwanda to attract and facilitate top regional and international universities to invest in the education sector in Rwanda. However, I think that we also have to be somehow careful: Do those universities have efficient infrastructure? Do they have their own, sufficient staff? How much number of students in their classes?Those are the typical questions that pop up any time there’s news of a new university in Rwanda.For a good class, the ideal number of students should be anywhere between 40 and 60, but some of the private universities are admitting more than 100 students in a single programme which might end up compromise quality.I am requesting the Ministry of Education to conduct an audit in these universities. In some universities or campuses, they don’t have permanent staff members. They are just relying on staff from public institutions of higher learning. They are only working for money and can’t care less about the quality of education. To fellow Rwandans, if we are to ensure a bright future, let us always look at the profile of the tertiary institutions we intend to join or have your children enroll into. That way we will avoid having ‘paper graduates’.KGS, KigaliReaction to the story, "Rwanda, Kenya to strengthen cooperation in education sector”, (The New Times, October 12)