… Institutions of higher learning now to be audited
BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– Compliance!
The Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC) will make sure that institutions of higher learning are complying with their standards of operations and the council has done this by appointing compliance.
This morning, ESHEC CEO Dr. Loretta Mkhonta unveiled the team of six compliance officers, who will collaborate with HEIs in ensuring that the Higher Education standards are upheld in all accredited Higher Education Institutes in Eswatini.
The compliance officers were also presented to HEIs during the first day of their three-day workshop facilitated by Dr Violet Masuku at Esibayeni lodge.
One of the compliance officers is Dr Loretta Mkhonta, the Chief Executive Officer of ESHEC.
In the meantime, the council has urged emaSwati to contact themon 2404 8119 to cross-check the tertiary institution they are applying in.
They did this by sending a clear and concise message to emaSwati parents and applicants by the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC)- while warning emaSwati on non-accredited tertiary institutions.
Worth noting is that the months of the year are known to be a hive of activity with regards to applying and registering in tertiary institutions in Eswatini. After Form V results are released around the end of February, the school leavers start applying to tertiary institutions of their choice and this is why ESHEC has started this awareness campaign.
Sending out the warning this morning was ESHEC’s Communications Officer Mihla Khumalo, who said it was important for parents and applicants to verify the colleges they were applying to.
Khumalo said applicants and their parents tended to be desperate and not crosscheck if the tertiary institution they were applying to was accredited or not.
The ESHEC Communications Officer further said emaSwati should not be scared to contact them to verify an institution they were applying to.
“Our line 2404 8119 is open to the public- so they can verify if an institution they are applying to is accredited. Being accredited means that the institution had reached the expected standards and their certificates are internationally recognised,” explained Khumalo.
Khumalo further explained that an entity might be accredited but have courses that are not. “When we accredit we also scrutinize the courses. This means that the public can also detail which courses they have applied for so we can assess holistically,” said Khumalo.
