Private institutes of higher education have mushroomed but the facilities they offer far from meet the needs of students. An investigation.
A majority of the 120-odd institutions are understaffed, poorly equipped and functioning out of make-shift premises.
Private institutes of higher education have mushroomed but the facilities they offer far from meet the needs of students. An investigation.
A majority of the 120-odd institutions are understaffed, poorly equipped and functioning out of make-shift premises. Rules are brazenly flouted and many have secured permits simply because of powerful patrons.
Under a 2007 law for private institutes, managements must show bank guarantees of 200,000 Afs (roughly 2,990 USD), provide both documentary proof of academic qualifications of staff and guarantee they are not involved in criminal cases.
Now Ministry of Higher Education officials say amendments to the law have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice for approval. The proposed changes will make it compulsory for private institutes to have own buildings and among other things, conduct the university entrance exam, kankur, twice a year – in the spring and autumn – in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education. The bank guarantee will also be raised to 200,000 USD and a Masters degree made the minimum qualification for university teachers.
Complaints of bias
Private universities and other institutes complain the Ministry is biased. It discriminates between institutions, insisting they follow rules but willfully ignores some who do not comply.
Hemat Erfan, the academic assistant at Bayan private university, is vociferous. “The ministry gives preference to powerful individuals,” he says. Moreover, while officially the ministry has not been issuing new permits to set up private institutions for two years, he says many institutions have got sanction.
Mohammad Amir Kamawal, the head of private universities in the ministry who rejects the allegations, says permission was given in cases where the applications were made and documents processed before the ban. According to him, a review of performance of all private institutes is underway, and action will be taken in cases where there is a breach of rules.
Erfan from Bayan private university also says many private institutions sell fake degrees, and admit students into the final year without ensuring they have cleared previous levels.
Uneven enforcement
Kamawal from the ministry confirms Erfan’s statement. He says the ministry’s own investigation has revealed that some lecturers in private universities are not graduates although on paper they are.
Noor Mohammad Noor, the chief administrative officer at Bakhtar private university says seven of the university’s graduates were appointed assistant lecturers.
Curriculum
Erfan from Bayan private university wants the ministry to ensure there is only one curriculum for all universities. “Absence of a uniform curriculum in private education institutions confuses students. For instance, in history, the history of one country is taught in one university, and the history of another country in another university,” he explains.
However, Noor from Bakhtar has no problems with the disparate curriculums. “The syllabus in Bakhtar is derived from the best universities in the world, and the Ministry of Higher Education also monitors it,” he says.
Meanwhile, Kamawal from the ministry thinks uniformity in curriculum would stifle higher education. “We need to move along with the times,” he says. “For instance, science is developing. We cannot limit its teaching by imposing a uniform curriculum.”
Shafiaullah Naami, chief of a union of private universities, echoes Kamawal.
Infrastructure
Lack of proper facilities like a building is among problems plaguing private universities. Some institutions are at least 10 years old, and do not have their own campus.
Ahmad Sayar who studies in a private educational institution says, “Most of the institutions are in rented premises, and the rooms that are used as lecture halls are not built to accommodate students and a teacher.”
Mohammad Asmail Balkhi who heads Salam private university says, “The university does not have its own building – it has been in rented premises for years.”
Kamawal is optimistic that following changes to the law, the problem of suitable infrastructure will be solved.
Monitoring
It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education. Mohammad Esmail Labib who heads Salam private university says he is not satisfied with the level of monitoring. “There is nothing to monitoring of private educational institutions. The monitors do not even show up,” he says.
Erfan from Bayan says, “Monitoring (to evaluate performance) is weak. If this situation persists, we may in future have graduates who will be neither illiterate nor literate,” he says.
Noor from Bakhtar says monitors from the ministry visit the university once or twice a year.
Nematullah Ghafari, a member of the parliamentary commission for higher studies and education is critical of private institutions. “Private institutes constantly flout the rules and are indifferent to the quality of education they provide,” he says. Interestingly, the parliamentary commission has not once reviewed the state of higher education. In fact, all evaluations so far have sparked controversy and allegations of bias.
Kamawal blames the previous leadership of the Ministry of Higher Education for all the ills of the private university system. “I don’t says there are no problems, but they cannot be solved overnight,” he says.
He promises that graduating students from private universities will be awarded certificates issued by the ministry. “Awarding the diploma will start within two months,” he told Killid.
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