"Universities want tuition fees, not teaching," Brazão Mazula

“Universidades querem é propinas, não ensinar”, Brazão Mazula

Some higher education institutions are more focused on profit than on quality education. The position is that of the former rector of the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) Brazão Mazula.

Speaking yesterday in a session parallel to the conference alluding to the celebrations of the 60 years of higher education in Mozambique and Angola, he pointed an accusing finger at many managers who make universities instruments to show off their economic stature.

"Some higher education establishments have been turned into bank tellers or academic trading resorts, where the managers are more concerned with the amount of student fees," he stressed.

Brazão Mazula also said that higher education is tainted by researchers who use their intelligence to make the institutions a springboard for politics and greater public visibility, not caring about the quality of what they teach, let alone research.

According to the academic, in some universities the teaching and learning process is done very quickly and without quality, and the loss falls on the students.

"The institutions have found in the modular system the fastest way to throw knowledge at students' heads, without giving them time to assimilate the subjects and justifying it as student-centered education. But this system is stacking, in which the teacher speaks alone and the program is purposely structured in modules to charge more," he pointed out.

The former rector denounced cases of leaders directing faculty members not to give negative grades to students, even though they are not applied to their studies; still others consider the competition, especially private institutions, as enemies.

João Teta, former rector of the Agostinho Neto University in Angola, highlighted the need to guarantee the sustainability of public institutions, for a quality education.

Speaking of the challenges of higher education institutions in Mozambique and Angola, he mentioned that the two countries do not have their own teaching staff with the desired qualifications.

He added that the number of teachers with master's and doctoral degrees is lower than those with undergraduate degrees, and this brings consequences to the quality of teaching.

"Universities are seen by many African politicians as a problem and not as part of solutions, so they are marginalized, with the aggravating factor that the idea that money buys development and knowledge doesn't count," he stressed.

For João Teta, the consolidation and development of universities in Mozambique and Angola depend fundamentally on the leadership capacity of their leaders, who must create programs and projects with goals and actions that presuppose shared management. (Notícias)

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