Colleges told to offer only NACTE approved courses

Prof Barton Mwamila (L), newly appointed chairman of National Council for Technical Education (NACTE), displays a certificate and an award presented to him by Education minister Philipo Mulugo (C).

The government has said that technical colleges will from next academic year only be allowed to offer approved courses, a move aimed at helping their graduates from joining higher learning institutions.

Speaking during the inauguration of an international conference on technical colleges organised by National Council for Technical Education (NACTE), deputy minister for Education and Vocational Training, Philipo Mulugo, said technical colleges will have to start offering only NACTE approved courses in the 2014/15 academic year.

According to Mulugo, there are mushrooming technical colleges that are running courses that are not approved by NACTE. Others are not even legally registered.

“These days there is a mushrooming of colleges that are running courses contrary to the guidance of NACTE. The students who are admitted to such colleges are robbed of their money by the owners of such institutions whose owners are money-mongers,” said Mulugo.

The deputy minister said NACTE, assisted by the police force will inspect the colleges and close down those that are not approved NACTE.

Mulugo called on parents and guardians to inquire critical details such as colleges’ registration, the qualifications of its lecturers/tutors before enrolling their children.

The current mess according to Mulugo is due to the fact that in the past there was no NACTE, creating loophole for each college to come up with its own syllabus for courses offered.

The deputy minister also informed the conference that teacher training colleges in the country will from next academic year start offering Diploma in Primary School Teaching.

Diplomas are only offered to teachers for secondary schools.
For his part, Executive Secretary for NACTE, Primus Nkwera, called on the colleges that are not registered by his body and people who intend to establish colleges to ensure that they get NACTE registration as per law.

Nkwera called on parents and guardians to ensure that their children are admitted to only registered colleges. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN