By Thom Ali

Lilongwe, April 2, Mana: Minister of Higher Education, Dr Jessie Kabwila, has reiterated government’s commitment to improving higher education standards in the country.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lilongwe, Kabwila said fake degrees and poor education standards are like cancer that eats away the fabric of society, eroding the value of hard work, excellence, meritocracy, integrity and accountability that are essential for the development of the nation.

“The fight against fake degrees and low standards of higher education is a fight for the soul of our nation which requires collective efforts from various stake holders to uphold the values of honesty, integrity, and excellence that are important for the achievement of the country’s development plans,” she said.

She said government has set up steps to deal with fake institutions, fake degrees or papers, and quality education issues, by among others ensuring that all higher education institutions are registered with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), conducting quality assurance audits to detect low higher education standards, as well as developing a higher education bill that will institute inspectors in higher education institutions.

She, therefore, urged all higher education institutions and employers to audit certificates of their employees and where in doubt contact NCHE or relevant authorities for verification.

Chief Executive Officer for NCHE, Dr Ambumulire Phiri, said the institution is geared in improving quality of education in the country by taking broader steps in sensitising the masses on suitable standards of higher education systems in the country through various platforms.

Phiri advised all higher learning institutions in the country to set up quality assurance standards to avoid being deregistered by the council.