Ministry of Agriculture Principal Secretary Engineer Geoffrey Mamba has pledged government’s commitment to put up new infrastructure at Mikolongwe School of Veterinary Science in Chiradzulu, a 74-year facility now dilapidated.
Besides decaying infrastructure, the school’s programme are not accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), a development that worries stakeholders, including the ministry.
The institution has few resident lecturers contrary to NCHE standards which recommend that about 75 percent of teaching staff should be residents. Instead, it outsources most of its teaching staff from Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.
In his remarks during a graduation ceremony at the nearby Malawi University of Science and Technology on Wednesday, Mamba, who represented Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale, said government is willing to have more livestock for consumption and even exporting.
“The ministry is working on getting Mikolongwe accredited by NCHE,” he said.
During the congregation where 56 graduated with diploma in veterinary science, Mary Tchereni passed with a distinction.
She said although she has passed with flying colours, it pains her that her qualification is not recognised.
The school’s principal Paul Mwalukomo asked the government to help them with proper infrastructure as one way to be considered with NCHE.
“We recruit students in phases and we do that every year but we alternate them, this is because we can accommodate up to 100 students now because we do not have enough boarding facilities,” he said.
Out of 66 students enrolled, 56 qualified for diploma. They comprised 38 males and 18 females. Of the three students that passed with distinctions, two were female.
