The confusion surrounding the graduation dates for the University of Rwanda medical students is yet another pointer that the old ghost that haunts the education sector is still there. Just a week before graduation and the Higher Education Council (HEC) drops a bombshell; the 370 students from the School of Medicine would not graduate after all. It alleges that the students had not done some courses, something the students and the university vehemently denied. It had to take a desperate tweet from one of the affected students who tagged the Minister of Health for a solution to be found, but this is worrying. At last a solution was found after a meeting with all stakeholders and it seems the students will graduate after all. When government business is conducted via Twitter, then we are in deep trouble. But let us return to the issue in question; how does it happen that the future of our future doctors is left hanging by one statement from HEC? It means there is no coordination between the ministries of education and health as well as HEC and the University of Rwanda. But all problems point towards HEC. The institution is supposed to keep a close tab on institutions of higher learning, so why did it wait for the last moment to disrupt the graduation plans? If the students had missed some courses, HEC should have discovered it earlier, but as it seems the education sector needs an old broom that knows all the corners. It looks like between HEC and the education ministry, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Something is definitely wrong. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
