The decision, made by a meeting of the Ministry’s Coordinating Council held last week in the southern resort of Chidenguele, arose because of concern at the different criteria for admitting students in different universities.
According to the Ministry’s spokesperson, Manuel Rego, while students enter public universities through entrance examinations, in the private sector university places are essentially on sale. In general, the criterion used for admission is whether the would-be student has the financial capacity to pay for his studies.
“The recommendation that emerged from the Coordinating Council is to study the viability of introducing a single admission test for higher education”, said Rego. “We have to undertake a very profound study because the matter is complex, and we will have to check the current legislation”.
The study should estimate the financial implications for the country of a single admission exam, what benefits it would bring, and who would set the papers, among other issues.
“The objective is to ensure that students all face the same conditions and to guarantee minimum quality in access to high education”, added Rego.
There has been significant expansion in higher education in recent years, but the public universities cannot meet the demand. Vacancies on their courses are quickly filled, while there is little problem in entering a course at a private university – as long as the student can pay. Academically promising young Mozambicans who come from poor backgrounds risk being left out.
Rego said a study on the financing of higher education is under way and should be concluded this year. “To allow brilliant students who do not have the funds to attend higher education to continue their studies, the policy for financing higher education is being assessed”, he said. “There are various scholarships managed directly by the Ministry, and others by the institutions themselves, and the idea is to establish a system which ensures that students with the academic ability to attend higher education are not prevented from doing so by financial constraints”.
Up until 1987, the only universities in the country were publicly owned. But with the switch to a market economy, the private sector in education mushroomed. There are now 38 institutions of higher education in the country, most of them private. Between them, they accommodate more than 30,000 students.
Post published in: Africa News