Rectors told to reject poor quality lecturers

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)