Parliament to probe varsities

The Parliament is planning to set up an ad hoc committee that will scrutinize several setbacks in higher institutes of learning. The proposal came up after the parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Science, Culture and Youth headed by MP Agnes Mukazibera presented a report that unearthed several shortcomings within public and private universities. The report indicates that some institutes don’t conform to the 2005 law that governs the organisation and functioning of higher education. The committee, also found some universities do not adhere to the government directive of making English the compulsory language of instruction. Mukazibera’s committee drafted its report after visiting the National University of Rwanda, Kigali Independent University, ISAIE/Busogo and INILAK. “After several dialogues with heads of the institutes, it was discovered that almost all the universities and institutions do not have enough lecture rooms, lecturers are not motivated and there was need for salary structures,” reads the report. The reports also quote university lecturers request the amendment of the law that governs the organisation and functioning of higher education. All universities have started conducting lectures in English apart from ISAE-Busogo which claimed that it has not yet got the capacity to adopt the policy. Other issues highlighted in the report include some students who graduate before presenting their research work. After Mukazibera presented the report, MPs agreed to set up an ad hoc committee that would dig deep into the issues highlighted in the report and present a detailed report before the chamber of deputies. Ends