33 sub-par colleges shut down
Move to ensure quality of education, says minister
SURFEIT of institutions of learning contributes to poor state of affairs, says educationist.
THE Higher Education Ministry has ordered the closure of 33 colleges this year for falling below standards. Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said this was to ensure the quality of education would not be jeopardised.
The colleges were ordered to close for failing to comply with requirements set by the ministry, which monitors the institutions through its Malaysian Quality Evaluation System for Private Colleges, or MyQUEST.
Idris said between 2012 and last year, 46 colleges were ordered to close by the ministry.
He said the ministry was looking into re-evaluating and improving rating exercises under MyQUEST to boost the quality of private colleges.
MyQUEST evaluation is conducted twice a year and is made up of three categories: quality, course cluster and international students services.
Idris said the ministry would, in future, exercise greater control in regulating private higher education institutions via the newly-amended Private Higher Education Act (Act 555).
The act, which came into force on Nov 27, makes it compulsory for private colleges to provide information and data to the ministry for coordination purposes.
“Before this, they (private colleges) were not obliged to do so (provide information).
“With the (newly-amended) act, we are more transparent, as we know how many students they have, where their students are from, the number of lecturers they have, as well as the number of classrooms, equipment and other details.”
The act’s enforcement is expected to improve the quality of private higher education institutes and rate them through a performance-based regulation.