National Council for Higher Education (Nche) in Malawi director of standards and quality audits Japhet Bakuwa has encouraged secondary school students to go to accredited colleges and universities only.
The council, which accredits institutions of higher learning in the country, is running Mche Awareness and Perception Survey in Secondary Schools Project to, among others, help students to choose accredited institutions.
Speaking on Monday during the launch of the initiative at Bvumbwe Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) in Thyolo District, Bakuwa said the initiative will help enhance readiness of students for higher education.
He said: “The awareness sought to empower students with knowledge about what Nche does and also hear from them what they understand about Nche’s roles.
“We also wanted to understand issues affecting their studies in relation to their prospects for higher education. This is important because we do not want them to get enrolled into institutions that are not recognised by Nche.”
Baluwa also said they will
start closing institutions of higher learning that are not registered with the council.
Bvumbwe CDSS head teacher Anusa Tambala said the information from Nche was timely as it will help students to make informed decisions on which institution of higher education to go to.
“This information is important for our students because in most cases, a student completes secondary education without knowing anything about the college or university they can apply to continue with their studies,” he said.
Form Three student Eric Kazembe said the information they received from Nche will prevent them from going to bogus institutions.
The council is implementing the initiative on a pilot phase with funding from the World Bank through the Skills for a Vibrant Economy (Save) Project
