ZIMCHE starts standardising degrees

THE Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (Zimche) is working on the standardisation of degrees offered by all universities in the country including private higher and tertiary learning institutions to ensure uniformity as well as matching international standards, Higher Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira has said.

Addressing an all stakeholders meeting at Midlands State University in Gweru yesterday, Prof Murwira said following the pronouncement of the qualifications framework as a statutory instrument last month, Zimche was now working on the rationalisation and standardisation of degree programmes.

He said this will enable the country to meet international educational standards and make the degree programmes offered in the country competitive as well as improving universities and colleges rankings.

“You are aware that we now have a qualifications framework which would ensure uniformity in the requirements and curricula standards of degree programmes. It was enacted on 20 July. What it means is that the degree in Chemistry offered at University of Zimbabwe (UZ) will have the same minimum standards as that offered at National University of Science and Technology (Nust) or any other university in the country. I am aware that at the moment only Law and Medicines were already implementing that and to them it’s not a new thing. Zimbabwean Universities were ranking low because we did not have a qualifications framework. South Africa has one that is why their universities are ranked way above us. Zimche is now working on that and they will soon present to us,” he said.

Prof Murwira said university faculties and degree programmes departments that would not comply with the qualifications framework risk abolishment. He said there were some resistance from the Arts departments. Prof Murwira said the Government had also promulgated the promotions framework for universities where there would be standardisation of promotions in universities. He said there must be uniformity in the minimum requirements for one to be a professor.