EDITORIAL: Focus on raising higher education standards

A senatorial committee that toured higher education sub-sector has noted that standards have improved over the last 22 years but institutions still suffer heavily from poor funding and shallow monitoring for quality assurance. Senators, in a new report, say poor infrastructure, inadequate resources for students’ living and class practices as well as poor funding for academic research continue to plague many higher institutions of learning. They have recommended, among others, increment of students’ living allowance, and resources support to academic staff to facilitate research and teaching excellence. It’s not difficult to see where they are coming from. Take, for instance, the issue of facilitating academic research. One could cite the University of Rwanda that has steadily improved in the world university web ranking, the Webometrics, thanks largely to improvement and focus on research-based teaching. From nursery to primary through secondary school, learners are shaped for the future, but it is at college and higher institution of learning that their career dreams are nurtured with special attention. Higher institutions are the tailoring level, where special needs of human resources are perfected. For a country that has been sowing a lot of seeds of skills-based education that focuses on entrepreneurship, advancing the ideals of research at higher institutions of learning would go a long way in nurturing human resources that endavours to look beyond the letters on their desktops. Research goes beyond knowing what is available to knowing why they are available and looking into what they mean for the future. Human resources able to engage in effective research studies are invaluable to any nation. Going beyond research, the issue of facilitation allowances for students cannot continue to be a burden to their learning. Even if the Government does not immediately have resources, concerned authorities should look into modalities of easing the burden where the said Rwf25,000 per month is deemed inadequate. There should be supplementary means even if non-monetary that can come in handy. Equally important, universities should undertake income-generating activities, including community development projects and consultancy, to supplement the government funding, and gradually work towards self-reliance. This should help them bridge the existing gaps.

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EDITORIAL: Focus on raising higher education standards