GOVERNMENT must move in and close private universities that are offering poor standards of education because they are just exployting the people, former Minister of Education Geoffrey Lingwangwa has said in Parliament.
Professor Lungwangwa, who is Nalikwanda member of Parliament, was contributing to the report of the committee on Education, Science and Technology yesterday.
He said the country had now seen the mushrooming of universities that did not offer quality education but were merely out there to milk people out of their money.
“There are a number of backdoor universities that are just out there to make money and this is a serious disservice to the people. The Ministry of Education must close down such universities,” he said.
Professor Lingwangwa called for an increase in the number of inspectors so that they could ably carry out inspections and see which institutions were faulting.
He said that Zambian universities had concentrated so much on general education and sidelining science courses.
“I can give a good example of Ethiopia which has 35 universities and they have placed emphasis on mathematics unlike the Zambian scenario which is so much into general education,” Prof Lungwangwa said.
And Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo noted that infrastructure still remained one of the biggest challenges that students from higher learning institutions faced. She said it was against this background that most female students were enticed by sugar daddies and ended up impregnating them and eventually dropping out of school. The Chongwe lawmaker urged Government to sort out problems in public learning institutions before it could compel private institutions to do the same.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Michael Kaingu said Government had come up with a strategic approach to address the issues raised in the report.
He said one of them was to ensure that they compelled learning institutions to focus more on skills training.
Dr Kaingu said skills training was the backbone of any young economy and that it should be given a lot of attention.
The Education Minister said contrary to assertions that private institutions were not doing well, a report last year showed that students from private institutions had performed better than those from public institutions.
He said the country had failed to admit about 80 percent of eligible students at the public universities and that private institutions were filling up the gap.
“We have put up a strategic approach to address issues in the report through short term, medium and long term plans. Actually private universities fill in the gap that we fail as a country to admit about 80 percent of the students in our public universities,” he said.
Presenting the report, Lukulu East Member of Parliament Dr Christopher Kalila said there was low quality of education offered by private universities.
He said that graduates were leaving training institutions with little knowledge in their various fields of study.
‘Close Down Sub-Standard Universities’ added by Reporter on
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“…exployting the people” ???
I guess the author of this article also came from the same universities, what exployting?
I heard the prof. speech on radio; he was spot on! One wonders why ECL prefered Kaingu to the this great Scholar. Lungwangwa understands these issue. Its a pity he failedboth as minister and assistant Vice Chancelor at uNza. But his ideas are correct goverment should hire him as consultant on these issues him. Kaingu should be dropped . He talks too much and boast for nothing. The guy is decampaigning lungu. He is a liability in Lungu’s goverment.
When competition gets to the neck, private universities will standardize themselves. Already most of the Private universities are putting up standard infrastructure. Let us take a leaf from Nigeria, a lot of private universities are better than public ones. The prof’s suggestion of closing private institution is not only retrogressive but archaic kind of thinking. What the govt must do is to set minimum standards before a private university opens its doors. Those that are already in existence must be monitored and encouraged to improve. Ba Prof,with your qualifications, you are supposed to open one and not the “PHD Syndrome” you are portraying. Nangu limbi ka entrepreneur skill kalimibela?
master of a language that does not even belong to you. The ignorant one, is the one that has been brainwashed to think that knowing english and not his own native language is being educated. you are a fool in other words.
Can the fallen Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa give us the names of these sub-standard universities quickly so that I may make an informed decision.
For sure, their lectures are of poor quality and the students enrolled were not even qualified. Even the lecturers themselves are not qualified. Some female students even sleep with lecturers. I miss the sweet old days in the Kaunda era when education standards were high and respected. Talk of UNZA, CBU, Evelyn Hone, DK, Hilcrest, Nkhrumah, NRDC, Trades Schools, etc. From primary school to University we had standard. When one got 855 marks @ Grade 7, 510 marks @ Grade 9 and 6 points @ Grade 12, it was a marvel. Today, there are thousands getting that!
Welcome to the ICT world were information is just one click away. Things change boss. What grade 1s are learning imwe mwalesambilila mu grade seven na kamwefu naka kaputula. 🙂
Zambia has a number off substandard institution but in terms of schools we are almost the best in Africa because we even have passion for it and we do better even without captains as suggested just like the parliament itself. that is why the we want change of the republican constitution.
We have highly educated people with Good qualifications and we have always used a needle Made in China. My Dear Lungwangwa help to standardize Parliament and not peoples initiatives LEAVE IT ALONE YOU CAN NOT STANDARDIZE WHAT DOES NOT EXIST LET IT LIVE AND IT WILL HELP TO STARDADIZE
Lungwangwa is one of the reasons the standards of education in Zambia are the way they are!
He had 2 chances at rectifying the problems but missed both opportunities due to his greed!
How many of you remember his furniture and car scandals when he was deputy VC at UNZA?
And this is the chap that should be lecturing us on sub-standard Universities when he was in the forefront of creating the biggest sub-standard University in Zambia!!!
Forgive the the prof brother; he has learnt his lesson. In this lecture, he is spot on!
On the latest rating of African universities, no other Zambian university is featuring save old faithful UNZA @ number 28!
Where are the other Zambian universities Kaingu is bragging about? Kaingu is proving is an ignorant ,pompous for nothing minister.
Let him sit home and attend to his run away daughter! Education is such an important ministry, we need a serious and knowledgeable minister. Yes boma iyanganepo!Kaingu achoke!
YES, LUNGU AYANGANEPO!
Even grade twelve failers are in universities
Prof. Lungwangwa is been myopic and downright petty by advocating for the closure of his friends’ successes. As he is busy politicking,his academic friends are investing in education and contributing to lowering literacy levels in the country and ultimately improving the welfare of thousands who fail to access public colleges and universities which are marred by student demonstrations, staff strikes and go slows!The best that he can advocate is improvement in control measures that enhances quality output and monitoring entrants to colleges and universities.Abash Pull him down syndrome.
What is lungwangwa tokin about? 75 percent of pipo who clear at ziale ar from private universities. Am a proud product of a private university and I got admitted to the bar at first attempt leaving behind unza graduates most of whom were attempting for the third time.