Social Welfare minister Dr Seif Rashid
after both parties agreed to localise the varsity’s curricula to comply with the Pharmacy Council of Tanzania and recognise graduates currently perusing medical courses at the institution.
Education and Vocational Training minister, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa and
Health and Social Welfare minister Dr Seif Rashid announced the new
move yesterday when briefing journalists on the outcomes of their
meeting that was held in Dodoma on Wednesday with KIU education
specialists.
“Graduates from KIU are now recognised and shall work under special
supervision for a specific period … student currently at the university
are also recognised,” said Dr Kawambwa, who insisted that the new
curriculums will be for students joining the college in the 2015/16
academic year.
According to the Minister, KIU was using an international curricula
since it is registered as a foreign university like Agha Khan and Jomo
Kenyatta universities.
He elaborated that under the agreement, the KIU Dar es Salaam
campus shall now review its prospectus to suit the country’s academic
standards with accordance to the National Council for Technical
Education (NACTE).
The university offers Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Bachelor of
Pharmacy, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory, Diploma in Medical Laboratory
Technology, Diploma in Clinical Medicine, Diploma in Pharmacy,
Certificate in Clinical Assistant, Certificate in Medical Laboratory and
Certificate in Pharmacy.
Dr Kawambwa also clarified on the pre-medical training ‘bridging
course’ that was offered to students of medical courses on laboratory,
pharmacy and medicine surgery saying it is a normal practice to most of
the colleges since it is geared to improve student’s learning ability.
He said such courses were also offered by the University of Dar es Salaam in previous years for students taking science courses.
He however noted that KIU will now be enrolling students using the
government’s Central Admission System (CAS) under the Tanzania
Commission for Universities (TCU). CAS, he said, is voluntary but it is
currently applied by almost all the 52 universities in Tanzania save for
Zanzibar University and Muslim University.
Reading the joint statement, Health and Welfare minister Dr Seif
Rashid said certificates, diploma and degree courses offered at KIU will
be recognised by NACTE.
“Graduates of the pharmacist course will be formally registered by
the National Council of Pharmacists, whereby the conditions will involve
a close-follow up and supervision at their working stations,” he said,
adding that monitoring will be done by the council officials.
He said that starting 2015/16 academic year, certificates and
diploma students will be using the Ministry’s curriculum so as to enable
them to be registered by the pharmacists’ council after graduating.
Early this month, more than 3,000 students from the Faculty of
Health and Applied Sciences at KIU’s Dar es Salaam campus boycotted
classes demanding an official clarification on reports that they were
pursuing unregistered courses.
In May 2013, the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) ordered
KIU to stop offering Master’s and Doctorate courses because it did not
meet the requirements to offer the courses.
The statement issued by then TCU executive secretary, Prof Sifuni
Mchome, said KIU was offering the courses contrary to the regulations as
it lacks qualified teachers for the programmes.
The students who boycotted classes were those pursuing bachelor of
medicine and surgery, bachelor of pharmacy, bachelor of medical
laboratory and diploma in medical laboratory technology, diploma in
clinical medicine and diploma in pharmacy.
Other students were those studying certificate in clinical
assistant, certificate in medical laboratory and certificate in
pharmacy.
Speaking to the Guardian the students’ minister of health Kenedy
Murenya said that they presented their concerns to the management a long
time ago but they were not given satisfactory answers to make them
proceed with their studies.
He said that earlier the university management through Dean of
Health Faculty informed them that the courses were already registered,
but they later learnt that it was not true.
“The announcement was posted on the notice board informing students
that the courses had already been registered but we came to realise
that it was not true after the students made efforts to establish the
truth,” he said.
Another student pursuing bachelor of medicine and surgery Martine
Suga said that students were in a dilemma because they were not sure of
their academic future because if the courses were not registered it
means that they will not be recognised.
“We are worried because if the courses are not registered were
just wasting time and resources... we want official statement from the
government towards the problem … we are tired of politics especially on
crucial issues like this one,” he said.
The KIU students organisation (KIUSO) Prime Minister Elisha Mushi
confirmed that the student demand was genuine and the management was
working on to resolve it.
KIUSO deputy minister for education Fadhilina Kasim said that
although the strike involved one faculty, even other faculties have been
affected because students have failed to proceed with studies following
the inconveniences from the boycott.
KIU director of marketing and public relations Kenneth Uki
confirmed to The Guardian that the courses were yet to be registered but
the university had submitted all the requirements for registration to
the respective authorities.
He added that though the university has put efforts to ensure that
the issue is resolved amicably there were some delays which made the
process not to be completed on time.
“We know that this has been a problem but we are working hard to have the courses registered,’ he said.
He added the situation at the university was not conducive for
studies since Friday last week as students went on strike forcing the
Field Force Unit police to patrol the university to ensure peace and
security prevailed.
Head of Criminal Investigation for Dar es Salaam Special Zone
Constantino Masawe told the students that the University applications
for registration of the courses were sent to the Ministry of Health.
He said they discovered that the University did not take much
efforts to ensure that the courses were registered because the faculty
was introduced since 2011.
“The university applied for registration of the courses to the
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and they were conditions to be
fulfilled before registration but so far nothing has been done,” he
said.
In May 2013, the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU)
ordered the Kampala International University (KIU), Dar es Salaam
Constituent College, to stop offering Master’s and Doctorate courses.
TCU said decision was taken because KIU did not meet requirements
to offer the courses. In an unsigned statement issued by then TCU
executive secretary, Prof Sifuni Mchome, said KIU was offering the
courses contrary to the regulations as it lacks qualified teachers for
the programmes.
“Despite the fact that KIU was an institution registered by TCU to
offer graduate and diploma programmes in Tanzania, it does not meet the
conditions that enable it to offer postgraduate courses. We therefore
order the institution to stop immediately offering such courses,” the
statement reads in part.
TCU advised KIU to work together with students to facilitate smooth
transfer to other universities to continue with studies. If the
university continues to offer the courses, TCU warned that it will not
accredit the certificates of students.
In January 2013 KIU administration suspended 19 students for being
at the forefront in demanding fair and equal treatment to students and
lecturers, at the Gongo la Mboto campus in Dar es Salaam.
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