Lecturers at higher and tertiary institutions should
ideally have doctorates (PhDs), but in cases where there is a critical skills
gap, a master’s degree will suffice to guarantee quality graduates, a Cabinet
Minister has said.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology
Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said while there has to be an
insistence on PhDs for lecturers, an academic senate at any institution – which
ordinarily is the governing body – can consider holders of master’s degrees,
especially in “critical shortage areas”.
“The basic qualification for appointment to the
university’s academic staff is normally an earned PhD/DPhil degree, but a
master’s degree may be considered in the critical shortage areas as approved by
(academic) senate. This is subject to review from time to time,” said Minister
Murwira.
He said being encouraged to have the highest qualification
possible should not be scary as it was not a diesease..
“Our education must have predictable order and be
transparent to itself in order to be trusted by the outside world, and to
achieve this, we are implementing the Zimbabwe National Qualifications
Framework (ZNQF),” said Prof Murwira.
In essence, ZNQF is designed to harmonise and standardise
national qualifications that meet regional and international standards.
The framework also ensures grades amongst staff in higher
and tertiary learning institutions are standardised, which reduces the
variability in competencies of lectures in the same grade.
Further, Government intends to standardise degree
programmes to make it easy for students who might want to transfer to another
institution. Sunday Mail
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