|
Bribery Delays Registration
PROPHE Summary (by Prachayani
Praphamontripong):
Kenyan private universities and colleges face obstacles in the registration
process. To speed up the process and enhance chances of success, private
institutions reportedly offer bribes to obtain the following licenses:
a trade license, a trade permit, a charter, a registration certificate,
and an interim authority letter. Yet only 6 of over 130 private institutions
are presently registered and accredited (all 6 are universities but 11
private universities lack such status). While private institutions are
under rigid governmental control in university registration and program
approval, public universities are free to open programs without consultation.
Studies also report that the most popular programs in private institutions
are computer and business and that female enrollment is slightly higher
than male enrollment.
For the full story, see The Nation, March 11, 2005, "Graft
Hitch Cited in Set-Up of Varsities," by Samuel Siringi.
PROPHE Observation (by Wycliffe
Otieno):
This report is about the role of regulatory authorities in providing
an enabling environment for private provision, though it (or at least
the article here summarizing it) confuses purely educational ventures
with commercial licenses. This is the first time that the registration
process is being accused of corruption. Responsibility for the first
two licenses mentioned rests with the department of trade and registrar
of companies. The registration of private universities is rigorous and
leaves no room for quick fixes. The rigour is essential in retaining
institutional integrity. Indeed, the seriousness of private universities
in Kenya is largely due to this rigour that is largely absent in the
registration of commercial colleges, leading to proliferation of dubious
institutions. The frustration of providers is not about the quality
assurance goals of CHE, but rather, with provisos they are not able
to meet, resulting in long delays and paralysis. The principal obstacle
for most institutions is the requirement for a minimum of 50 acres of
land before chartering, among other tough conditions. Several particulars
of the Kenyan case vividly illustrate global trends regarding accreditation,
regulation, and quality control. These include accusations about private
motives, corruption, and quality, variation depending upon type of private
higher education institution, and private counter-charges of discrimination,
especially when the official criteria are skewed against what many privates
do best and when public institutions are automatically accepted.
|
