Director: Daniel C. Levy

Ugandan Government Moves Against Illegal Institutions

(Summary by Yingying Xu)

PROPHE Summary:
Uganda's National Council for Higher Education is trying to clamp down on private tertiary institutions operating illegally. It has published a list of the 17 universities (13 private) with degree-awarding authority, licensed by the council. It has cautioned citizens against enrolling in non-authorized institutions and warned those institutions to apply for proper classification. Also listed are the other (non-university) legal tertiary institutions, such as national teachers colleges, technical colleges, and management institutes.

For the original piece see The Monitor, May 5, 2003. "Govt names legal universities," by Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda.

PROPHE Observation:
Uganda is part of the African current of recent, sharp private higher education expansion. As in other countries within and beyond the region, the expansion has often come as unregulated surprise. In response, the government endeavors to set clearer rules, enforce them, and guard against dangers involving opportunistic low-quality suppliers in a chaotic market.