A SERIES of irregularities which do not comply with local, regional and international standards have been cited as the major reasons behind deregistration of nine universities and colleges.
Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) Executive Secretary Prof Charles Kihampa said in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday that following an inspection on 19 learning institutions that were barred from enrolling students in 2017, only eight universities met the required standards, and that they were allowed to continue admitting students in some academic programmes.
In what appears to be good news for students aspiring to pursue medical studies, TCU has reinstated admission of fresh students at St Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences (SFUCHAS).
On the other hand, the commission extended its decision to bar Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University (SEKOMU) from admitting new students as it was yet to redress all the irregularities.
The university has been given an extension of six more months to comply with the required standards or risk being deregistered from admitting new students.
In June 2017, TCU barred 19 universities from admitting students in some programmes until they complied with the required standards.
The universities’ watchdog had between October 2016 and January 2017 embarked on a special inspection programme to assess the quality of education provided by higher learning institutions in the country, a survey which found some of the colleges providing services below standard, affecting the education sector.
According to Prof Kihampa, the commission, in its series of meetings between August 2019 and January 2020, after consultations with owners of the higher learning institutions, gave a green light to the requests from them that about five universities and college centres be deregistered.
They include the Archbishop James University College (AJUCo), Cardinal Rugambwa Memorial University College (CARUMUCo), Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU) Dar es Salaam Centre, St John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT) St Mark’s Centre and Jomo Kenyatta Univeristy of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Arusha Centre.
Similarly, TCU has nullified registration certificates of four higher learning institutions – Josiah Kibira University College (JOKUCo), Mount Meru University (MMU), International Medical and Technological University (IMTU) and University of Bagamoyo (UoB).
According to Prof Kihampa, eight universities that were in 2017 barred from admitting students in some programmes have now been allowed to continue admitting students after working on the advice given by TCU to work on all the irregularities that had earlier been detected.
They are the United African University of Tanzania (UAUT), Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU) in other campuses apart from the Dar es Salaam Centre which has been deregistered, Archbishop Mihayo University College of Tabora.
The Archbishop Mihayo University College of Tabora (AMUCTA), Kampala International University in Tanzania (KIUT) and Marian University College (MARUCo).
Also in the list are St Joseph University College of Engineering and Technology (SJUCET), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) and Stefano Moshi Memorial University College (SMMUCo).
“The commission has been satisfied by the improvement made by the university after working on all the irregularities that had earlier been identified, forcing TCU to bar its administration from enrolling new students, but during a meeting held on January 20, 2020, we decided that it begins admitting students during the 2020/2021 academic year,’’ said Prof Kihampa.
“TCU will continue performing its supervisory role by maintaining close follow ups on the quality of education offered by universities in the country by ensuring that it meets local, regional and international standards,’’ said Prof Kihampa.
