Rectors told to reject poor quality lecturers

JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to enhance the credibility of national universities, Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin asked all rectors on Saturday to turn away lecturers who graduated from dubious institutions.

Speaking at the inauguration of a part of the Muhammadiyah University campus in Surabaya, Yahya called on rectors to tighten the recruitment process of lecturers and double check their degrees.

"I recommend that rectors dismiss lecturers who graduate from questionable universities and, if necessary, strip them of their degrees," Yahya told Antara.

He was commenting on the mushrooming educational institutions, which claim to have affiliations with foreign universities, and offer master and doctorate degrees which can be obtained in less than one year.

Yahya has repeatedly expressed his concern over the practice, which he labeled as a commercialization of university degrees. President Abdurrahman Wahid shared the concern on Thursday while unveiling the draft state budget.

Abdurrahman suggested that the ministry empower the National Accreditation Board (BAN) in weeding out the questionable educational institutions.

The ministry issued a letter in December to warn other government institutions and the public of the presence of schools which violated regulations on higher education.

In its letter, the ministry classified some Jakarta-based management schools as errant educational institutions.

Yahya said to obtain a degree from these institutions, people needed only to pay about Rp 3 million (US$422) or participate in some seminars.

"Maybe some people obtain a degree only after conducting umrah (minor pilgrimage)," he remarked.

Yahya told The Jakarta Post recently he held a meeting on Thursday with rectors of 19 state universities across the country to probe the problem.

In the meeting, the ministry formed three teams which were assigned to promote an accreditation program, as well as legal and academic requirements for educational institutions to obtain the accreditation.

Yahya said he would seek to close the errant institutions or report them to the police.

"In the long term we will propose a bill that will empower the ministry to fight these institutions," he added. (04)