‘Illegal’ private universities fill demand gap

With public universities in Madagascar able to cater for only 8,000 new students this year, many private institutions without accreditation or authorisation to operate are preparing to offer courses to a large number of school-leavers qualified to enter higher education.

L’Express of Madagascar reported that the higher education and research ministry was refusing further applications from private universities seeking authorisation for the 2012-13 academic year.

The decision was in response to the ‘anarchy’ that currently prevailed in private higher education, said the paper.

The secretary general at the ministry, André Totohasina, even claimed there could have been a diplomatic incident due to this anarchy, said L’Express, after a foreign student complained to his embassy because the university he attended had not awarded him a diploma. The institution had not yet received accreditation or authorisation.

Approximately 90,000 candidates sat the baccalauréat examination, which gives successful students the right to a place in higher education. The pass rate is about 50%.

L’Express said the private universities were offering higher education to students, “in spite of their ‘illegality’.

“Out of around 100 private universities only about 20 have been authorised. And there are still another 100 that have not yet been dealt with at the ministry,” L’Express quoted Jules Germain Spiral, the ministry’s director of higher education, as saying.

“That’s why we have taken this decision to suspend new authorisations, especially as there are not enough staff to carry out inspections.”

The ministry’s priority this year would be to monitor institutions’ standards, such as facilities and teacher credentials, reported L’Express.

“We cannot close all these universities. With the capacity for the public universities remaining limited, if we close them there’s a risk of a social explosion,” said Spiral.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original report.