Quality is better than quantity

Editor | Tuesday August 31, 2010 00:00

The Malaysian university came into this country with a view to make a meaningful contribution to the skills development of our young generation.  We know that private institutions at tertiary level were in short supply, and the University of Botswana (UB) and allied institutions, could not meet the demand for tertiary education.  There was, furthermore, a deep need for other courses, especially in the new technology-focused skills like IT, new media and others.  Therefore the role of ABM, Limkokwing, NIIT, GIPS and other private institutions can never be underestimated.  The 1, 800 young Batswana graduates would not have otherwise had access to higher education without the contribution of such institutions.  These institutions should, therefore, be recognised for the vital role they play in our development.

However, we would like to caution them to refocus their attention to the crucially important aspect of their training agenda, quality.  Critics often warn that private education is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms.  They warn that education - that hallowed enterprise of knowledge acquisition from interrogation, experimentation and contestation - is too time-consuming to be left in the hands of the private sector particularly in a small economy like ours.  Most believe that only the state should be dabbling in such matters, or that only the state is capable of delivering quality tertiary education with the finesses required, or at the very least that government must have a hand in ensuring that education is provided at the right quality.  Critics of private education, especially at tertiary level, contend that often the private sector is too concerned with the profit margins to really care about the quality given to their graduates. 

This, therefore, is a challenge to the private tertiary institutions to fasten their seatbelts and refocus their attention on top quality education.  Often in our experience whenever we encounter students from the private institutions they seem to lack the basic grounding in their areas of specialisation.  In fact, in many newsrooms around the country media graduates from local private institutions have problems being accepted because of this apparent inability to deliver on the basic requirements.

This is not a simple matter of discrimination.  It is important, therefore, that private institutions concentrate on giving quality to their students.  When the graduates have gained quality education and are able to deliver in the workplace then the private tertiary institutions would not have to spend vast sums of money on colourful marketing initiatives, as word-of-mouth would do the rest.

So while we celebrate the graduation of these young Batswana, we would like to advise that more attention be paid to the quality of the current programmes offered not just at Limkokwing but in other private institutions as well.

                                                              Today's thought'A graduate degree is something that will pay off handsomely in the long run.  By continuing their higher education, individuals are doing all that more to improve their quality of life, personally and professionally.'                                                               - Michael Katz