Nip fake varsities, colleges in the bud now

PLANS by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to deregister some private tertiary institutions that fail to meet the required standards are timely and spot on.

This could not have come at a better time than now when fake qualifications have become rampant in the country.

In fact, the move is long overdue and if allowed to continue we are afraid they will deteriorate further.

That’s why it is gratifying to hear that the HEA has concluded auditing higher learning institutions and would in two weeks’ time deregister those found wanting.

It is shameful and sad that while other people are busy breaking their backs studying in universities and colleges, some people have opted to take shortcuts by acquiring fake diplomas, degrees and PhDs from some universities with questionable credentials.

Some even go as far as paying thousands of dollars to irregularly acquire PhDs just for respect and recognition because of the title.

What is disheartening though is that people with the fake qualifications even get better jobs at the expense of those who genuinely spent sleepless nights studying to obtain academic certificates…but all in vain.

A good case in point is the unbelievable and unexpected shame that has of late befallen the teaching profession where over 700 teachers have been dismissed because of fake certificates. Perhaps this explains the persistent exam leaks.

Question is where did all these teachers get these fake qualifications? Obviously some from the famous Matero university while others may have gotten them from fraudulent colleges and universities.

At the rate private universities and colleges are mushrooming, what has happened in the teaching profession is not surpassing at all. We wonder how a teacher with fake academic papers can effectively deliver to the expected standards.

But the large number of teachers caught with fake papers just shows there is more to this than meets the eye ... obviously, there are more fake academic certificates in other ministries too.

The bottom line is that looking at the fast proliferation of colleges and universities in the country, the quality of education has seriously and dangerously been compromised as many of these institutions do not meet the required standards and therefore produce half-baked products.

But the time of reckoning is at hand for these substandard and fraudulent institutions. We therefore commend the HEA for the audit and may the axe fall on those institutions that will be found wanting.

That’s not to say we don’t need more private universities far from it, as long as these institutions operate within the confines of the law and meet the set standards, they are free to operate.

While, we appreciate that Zambians have fully realised the importance of education and want to acquire qualifications, we caution citizens against falling prey to some of these universities that operate from houses, void of the necessary infrastructure just like some kindergartens.

It is also our hope that the audit is not a one-off exercise but that inspectors from the HEA would make it routine to frequent the learning institutions to keep them in check.

The nation can’t afford to comprise the quality of our education further because consequences of this are too grave to bear as the nation has already experienced with nagging examination leaks.