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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT says exemption by universities of modules done by graduates from polytechnics and colleges is likely to take effect in February next year as it is working on standardisation of the higher and tertiary education curriculum.
Standardisation means that certificate and diploma holders from polytechnics will be exempt from some modules, thereby reducing years of study at university.
In an interview yesterday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said once standardisation is complete, it would be easy for prior qualifications to be recognised as well as easy transfer from one institution to another.
“Now we are in the preparation stage for these things to be effected. Zimche (Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education) will be working on the standardisation of the programme at universities and we will give them time but my ambition is that by February they should have finished,” said Prof Murwira.
He said the standardisation has effects also on regulations of tertiary institutions which have to be amended.
“We expect a huge amount of overlap; for example if you are doing an Accounting degree, the normal practice is that at least 60 percent of the programmes must overlap and then the rest depend on the character of the university. Those are the things that we expect now to be rolling.
As soon as the Statutory Instrument is done, then we have to give people a compliance period to prepare for compliance and after that time we effect the programme but what is clear is that it’s now law,” Prof Murwira said.
“We are expecting it to be ready by the next intake in February and if we fail to meet that definitely in August intake”.
He said the regulations have to be changed and by February polytechnics are expected to do the same under Statutory Instrument 137.
“So, horizontal comparability should be finished and the vertical path of students from the professional path of artisans, from polytechnics and university, which is higher education, must have been harmonised by that time and then we start rolling out the programmes,” Prof Murwira said.
Through the National Qualification Framework (NQF), the education sector would be able to take into cognisance prior educational qualifications
The move to introduce the NQF follows concerns by those holding qualifications from teachers’ colleges and polytechnics that their qualifications are ignored by universities. — @Auxilia
derick.khumalo