Peter Chol Duom,
Opinion.
Feb 20, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Weird things are happening in our country due to economic, social and political reason. In south Sudan, you find certain groups of people busy always with underground economy (or black market) trying to fake a living. Dealers are everywhere in Juba and in particular in the fuel stations, forex bureaus, commercial banks, and Central bank. None of these dealers is licensed by Central Equatoria government or National government. The same style used by those workers in the fuel stations, forex bureaus, commercial banks, and central bank has been copied by academic wounded individuals trying to leap-frog into higher education system without passing through primary/secondary education. There is a saying that “man made money and money made man mad”. Most universities within and in foreign countries are money-minded to extend they couldn’t see documents that qualifies a student for admission into the university.
Some universities have opened branches in Juba and in some other States and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology is watching the drama. Where is the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) which was formed by the former Minister of Higher Education Hon. Dr. Adwok Nyaba? What is the role of NCHE in regard to these fake universities which are admitting primary/secondary school dropouts? I call these Institutions fake because they are not trustworthy in admitting students. Imagine if former Minister of education Dr. Adwok Nyaba would have not closed down 22 private universities in 2012, how many universities do you think by this time? I think more than 80 private universities could have been operating today. I thank Dr. Adwok Nyaba for publishing the list of 22 fake universities during his time.
We must admit that higher education is expensive and only public funding can afford the kind of infrastructure most universities require to function satisfactorily such as labs, well stocked libraries, and research and training facilities. We better equip these five public universities (Juba University, Bahr el Ghazal University, Upper Nile University, Dr. John Garang University and Rumbek University) to meet the international standard. We can also open branches of these five public universities in some of the States that do not have Institutes or colleges.
The total number of students in public universities in South Sudan is less than 38,000. This is a small number compare to other public universities in foreign countries. In Egypt, Cairo University is admitting over 80,000 students every year, Makerere University in Uganda is admitting over 40,000 students every year, Nairobi University in Kenya is admitting over 20,000 students every year, Dar el Salaam University in Tanzania is admitting over 15,000 students every year. The list is long. So why do South Sudan fails to admit a number less than 5,000 to public universities?
My message to the Ministry of Higher Education is that, they should regulate these mobile fake universities or else close them down. The ministry should read the minds of her citizens. They citizens of this country are power and education hungry. Everybody wanted to have a framed gong picture hung on the wall of his/her house so that family members and visitors can watch. The government of South Sudan is hammering herself because most of students in these fake mobile universities are government officials and army generals. Do you think semi-literate graduates from these universities will make any change in public institutions? Of course the answer is YES or big NO.
Our country will be peaceful when 50-60% of country population is educated. But the type of education our country men and women are getting will contribute less or nothing to our country.
Where is our country heading to? When there is shortage of fuel, people go for black market; when there is shortage of dollar in commercial banks, bankers go for black market; when government and the world talk of high illiterate rate in South Sudan, we want to leap-frog into tertiary education. Well, I am not against where and how you are acquiring your education. Go ahead and fill the basket but don’t fill it with rotten cabbage. David Lloyd George said: “The most dangerous thing in the world is to try to leap a chasm in two jumps”. So, shortcuts are the most dangerous ways.
Oh God, bless South Sudan!!
I can be reached at duompiriit@gmail.com
8 comments
Equatorians officials and kickback,that is how they spoil all Jieng with their few corrupts Dinka politicians.
It is really a good point but that’s why we cry all the time for change because we believe change in will bring something good.
less always thinking positively in the side of education . if u call the document other fake then show them where to go for free to get quality education .
in our country there is no universities where students are refusing to join . there fore u can resort to join any university to speed up your dream
but as academician u must be careful with ur cuorse
Thanks for brining up the issue. Dr. Adwok Nyaba was removed because he is from Shilluk tribe! and everybody hates the Shilluk because Dr. Lam Akol wants to become president; a post that should be held by a Dinka or a Nuer tribesman if situation allows?…………. “That way of thinking is not good and will lead us nowhere”.
Dr. Nyaba was doing fine and should have been left in that position in order to organize our higher education. But who cares!
Not every PhD holder fits the ministry of Higher Education and this incumbent minister is there for tribal representation, not real work. There are many people with good background in university teaching and management, who should have been given the task of running the ministry, and who are from Nuer tribe as well if this distinction is necessary.
Government has the right to removed him and nothing to do with Tribalism,look at Riek Machar PHD. Machar career should have being banned long time ago.
Both Minister and administrators of that a Department are giving away LICENCES because of Corruption and KICKBACKS,simply because they afraid of stealing from government. Kokora itself was about South Budget from central government in Khartoum. Regional Government Officials in Juba by than never build the Latrines for themselves.
Kin-Kine
If you are only encouraging public Universities to exist minus the private ones, where is the competition that can bring about quality. First of all, we are just coming from War and you need the Universities that are coming up to be like UK, Makerere, Kenyata University. Do you know how many years it took them to be like that? Let us be very careful in the way we think. Even this public Universities are not enough to accommodate this mushrooming students who finishing senior every year. Let us be very careful sometimes when coming with a decision. Let us give a room to this young ones whose parents perished in this prolonged conflict in the country because they could not afford to go abroad.