By KT Reporter
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has raised concerns over potential double regulation of institutions of higher learning as the new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act takes effect, urging the Ministry of Education and Sports to provide clear implementation guidelines.
Signed into law by President Museveni earlier this year and effective from March 15, the TVET Act introduces significant reforms to the TVET sector and post-primary education, notably transferring some of NCHE’s programme accreditation powers to the newly established TVET Council.
NCHE Chairperson Prof. Joy Kwesiga warns that overlapping mandates between the TVET Act and the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA) could lead to regulatory conflicts, inefficiencies, and confusion.
Prof. Joy Kwesiga made these remarks on Friday evening during the groundbreaking ceremony for NCHE’s new Shs23 billion main building at Kyambogo Hill Road.
Section 5 (1) of the TVET Act mandates the TVET Council to accredit TVET programmes, and on the other hand, Section 4(d) of the UOTIA mandates NCHE to perform the function of accrediting programmes.
Prof. Joy Kwesiga, also Vice Chancellor of Kabale University, cautioned that the TVET Act risks creating a parallel education pathway alongside the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA). She highlighted the lack of clarity on how qualifications from these two regulatory frameworks will be aligned, leaving uncertainty about the rights and limitations of graduates from each pathway.
“There is a likelihood of double regulation of higher education institutions as each agency is mandated to regulate higher education institutions,” she said.
“The double regulation of higher education institutions in Uganda, as created by the overlapping mandates, will lead to inefficiencies, confusion, and potential conflicts in the regulatory framework, ultimately impacting the quality and effectiveness of higher education.”
Under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA), universities accredited by the NCHE enjoy academic freedom to develop and assess their own programmes. However, the new TVET Act mandates that all diploma and certificate programmes classified as TVET fall under the TVET Council’s oversight.
Universities and other institutions have 12 months to register these qualifications with the TVET Council and submit their trainees for national assessment by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB).
Additionally, the curriculum for TVET programmes will be developed by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) in consultation with TVET providers (institutions) and other stakeholders.
Education experts have warned that this requirement risks creating confusion and dual regulation, undermining the Ministry of Education’s long-standing efforts to eliminate overlapping mandates among government agencies.
Prof. Joy Kwesiga pointed out that some tertiary institutions and diploma programmes in higher learning institutions are non-TVET, yet the TVET Act’s transition provisions fail to address their status.
She further noted the lack of clarity regarding private higher education institutions that are chartered or hold Certificates of Classification and Registration, leaving uncertainty about whether these institutions must phase out TVET programmes and how learners and stakeholders will be supported in the process.
Timothy Ssejjoba, Acting Commissioner for University Education and Training at the Ministry of Education and Sports, acknowledged the regulatory gaps in the TVET Act’s implementation. He assured stakeholders that these issues are being addressed through ongoing consultations, the development of new policies, and proposed amendments to the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
Speaking on Friday at NCHE headquarters in Kyambogo, Education Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni also addressed the matter, saying that the issue is being handled and the ministry will guide the stakeholders on the way forward as soon as the analysis of the Act is completed.
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