Dr. Taleb DURGAHEE
7 August 2007
Port Louis — The saga of the Eastern University (Mauritius Branch) is a good example of how Mauritius treats the education and future of our young people. It takes one step forward and ten backwards. The leader of the opposition is increasingly showing that the Tertiary Education Committee (TEC) is a puppet tied to ministerial strings and is not able to address what education should be about and how it should be regulated. The TEC Board is a bunch of nominated political affiliates whose loyalty lies somewhere else. I
t has not put rigour first. Rigour is the fundamental and cardinal principle in education. The TEC appears to have failed in this endeavour. The chairman and the executive director of the TEC should examine their conscience now and resign from their offices before they are accused of issues that are more serious.
The first private university fails at the first hurdle and, with it, the credibility of the TEC has gone down the drain. As the paperwork and administrative procedures are unravelled and made public, the integrity of the TEC is further eroded, downtrodden and 'caput'. The TEC is the highest authority in education regulation in Mauritius and is now suspected of failing to protect the exploitation of tertiary education by those who might be motivated by a quick buck or might have connections at ministerial level.
The opposition is right to demand a full public enquiry and the chief executive of Eastern University must do so too. It will go some way towards restoring the credibility of the university's administration.
If the rigour is lacking at the very conception and inception of the university, what guarantee do we have that there will be rigour in the employment of quality lecturers and maintenance of academic standards? On the other hand, would a quality lecturer want a post at this university if the initial administration is so tarnished and is seen to have influenced and prejudiced decisions at the highest level? Would there be intellectual independence for academics to excel in their subjects and motivate their students to become independent critical thinkers? This is university education where such independence must be protected, cherished and championed.
The ultimate question is whether the education of our youngsters will be safeguarded at this university. Will the diplomas and degrees obtained at this university have any recognition either in or outside of Mauritius? There are certainly question marks if a university is not recognised by the UGC in its home country. This speaks volumes. We see many Indian degrees/ diplomas that are not recognised on the international arena. The best advice for prospective students is to contact by email British, Australian and Canadian universities and enquire whether an Eastern University Degree will give them entry to a Masters course.
This will at least protect students and put one aspect in perspective for the future before enrolling in a rush at Eastern University. If this is far-fetched, students should write to the University of Mauritius asking whether it would recognise Eastern University degrees and allow holders to enrol for Masters and Doctorate degrees as the TEC seems to be without conscience and impotent in protecting students and standards. Prospective students must protect themselves, as our regulatory body appears to be letting them down.
The slogan is 'protect yourself as no one else will.' Parents who will pay the high fees of Rs 40,000 per year must invest their money in a credible future for their sons and daughters. Our youngsters do not need degrees and diplomas that are not worth the paper they are printed on. Parents must battle for this credibility by asking questions and demanding guarantees.
The opposition parties are right to demand a full public enquiry and the chief executive of Eastern University must do so too. This enquiry will go some way towards restoring the credibility of the university's administration. Refusal to have such an enquiry can only leave serious doubts about the credibility of this university, which does not appear to be highly rated in India. Now, the cry is 'there is no smoke without fire'. The leader of the opposition will serve the country well by not letting this issue go. He should engage his entire team and party to help him find its underlying cause. Young Mauritians will be forever grateful to the opposition for ensuring they go to a credible university. The key questions on the horizon and on the lips of Mauritians are:
Is Eastern University a future haven of employment for some of the ministers after politics and some members of the TEC Board?
Are our elected politicians using their public portfolio (public service) to feather their own nests? Do you recall the mantra 'meritocracy at Hull University and nepotism at Banaras Hindu University'?
Have the TEC policies and procedures not been adhered to because of academic posts promised to those in power? This happens because many ministers find themselves as directors of companies after their ministerial office ends. Is there any brown envelope with promissory notes lurking in the coffers of some ministers and TEC officials?
The Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA) also has to answer some questions. Is the duty of MQA only to assess academic content or the entire curriculum before accreditation is granted? If it is curriculum, then the administrative back up and the permission given by TEC should be under examination and consideration by MQA. The criteria upon which Eastern University has been founded and given a licence to exist must be scrutinised as it has a profound impact on the delivery of curricula.
There appears to be a lack of rigour by the MQA as well. Serious questions should be asked about its credibility and objectives. In my view, this is where the greatest failure lies. One of the courses is ready for delivery and we should ask ourselves how far the MQA has been involved in giving its green light. The MQA's credibility has also gone down the drain and the MQA senior staff must examine their consciences.
Mauritius should use this opportunistic Eastern University to fight collusion and nepotism. Up to now, Eastern University appears to epitomise all that is wrong with our country instead of being a symbol of academic and administrative excellence. One cannot allow students to enrol in a place that merits further investigation and is surrounded by an aura of manipulation and nepotism. The least the TEC can do at this last minute is to ask Eastern University to suspend enrolment until the whole matter is investigated and Parliament is satisfied. The TEC has a moral and authoritative responsibility to look after the interests of our youngsters. The TEC must intervene otherwise it will be failing in its basic duty.
Conclusion
This unfortunate fate of Eastern University represents a laissez-faire attitude from the authorities. Once one has the right connection, the rules are 'bent' or broken to facilitate those in power. There appears to be a lack of rigour in the scrutiny process of new educational establishments. This will not bring us world-class education but first-class nepotism with third-world administration.
The composition of the TEC Board and its senior staff must come under greater scrutiny. How many of them have a higher degree in Education? They may have a certain standing in education but how many of them are educationalists?
Finally, the call again is for all senior posts and political nominees within ministries and para-statal organisations to be publicly scrutinised in order to demonstrate fair and just appointments to serve Mauritius. There must be greater transparency if Mauritius is serious about world-class education.
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