Adopting Quality Assurance Standard to Enhance High Operational standards in State Universities, the Zimbabwean Context
- April 25, 2022
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue III, March 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Philomina Pawandiwa, Mlisa Jasper Ndlovu, George Shava, Judith Charumbira, Ethel Mathonsi
National University of Science and Technology, P O Box 939, Ascot, Bulawayo
Abstract: The study sought to determine the Implications of Quality Assurance Standards of the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (ZIMCHE) on Zimbabwean State Universities. For decades Zimbabwe had prided itself of having one of the highest literacy rates and churning out high quality human capital regionally and internationally. Lately sentiments have been expressed suggesting that the quality of education in Zimbabwean State Universities has been declining due to the economic meltdown of the past decade which incapacitated the supervisory body (ZIMCHE). In executing this study nine (9) State university Vice Chancellors, nine (9) senior officials from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, twenty-one (21) Faculty Deans, fifteen (15) ZIMCHE board members and six (6) Student Representative Bodies [Zimbabwe National Students Union] (ZINASU) and the Student Solidarity Trust] were sampled. The major findings from this research were that ZIMCHE was very relevant and its standards are generally effective despite the fact that the body has had to grapple with funding and human capital constraints among others. The study therefore notes that ZIMCHE and its quality assurance standards play a pivotal role in the enhancement of quality in university education. The researchers recommended the restructuring of the ZIMCHE board to accommodate other members from industrial and professional bodies in a bid to enhance independence, the undertaking of income generating projects by universities to supplement their budgetary requirements, increased budget allocations to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and the development of better problem solving methods to ensure that students were not prejudiced by ZIMCHE`s action on universities. While the current study and others studies have focused on the quality of teaching and learning, it is strongly recommended that future research explores the quality of research.
Key words: quality assurance; quality control; standards; accreditation; economic meltdown; quality of research; quality of education.
I. INTRODUCTION
Zimbabwe is highly recognized for having the highest literacy rate in Africa of ninety-two percent and one of the highest globally (UNESCO Report, 2010), its products are highly regarded worldwide.
