Union laments poor quality of higher education in Angola due to lack of investment

The Secretary General of the Angolan Union of Higher Education Teachers (Sinpes) lamented Monday the poor quality of the education sector due to the lack of “serious investment” from the state, considering the government’s course evaluation process effective.

Eduardo Pérez Alberto, speaking with Lusa, said the union understands that the evaluation work carried out by the National Institute for Evaluation, Accreditation and Recognition of Higher Education Studies was effective, but was flawed due to the decisions taken not to approve medical and health science courses in public and private institutions due to poor quality.

According to the trade unionist, these decisions are wrong, given that “state institutions are patronized by the government itself, the Angolan state.”

“That is, it is the Minister of Higher Education who should be the one to present serious investment projects together with the holder of executive power so that higher education institutions can truly acquire the necessary quality,” he emphasized.

According to the Sinpes secretary general, the union has repeatedly stated that “higher education is the golden key for any nation.”

“Closing the courses for two years, we believe that this decision was a mistake, because in fact investments are needed to develop higher education institutions,” said Eduardo Pérez Alberto, arguing that opting for this measure is “a continuation of mediocrity.”

The Angolan Government assessed 145 medical and health science courses in 58 public and private institutions, of which three out of nine medical courses were accredited as they met minimum standards, while six were rejected as not meeting acceptable standards.

Of the 145 courses assessed, a total of 83 were excluded and the admission of new students was suspended for one year to allow schools to implement an improvement plan, Higher Education Minister Eugenio Silva said this Monday.

“We appeal to the Government of Angola and, in particular, to the Ministry of Higher Education, which must require the heads of universities and organic units to immediately submit projects for the development of institutes, the creation of conditions for laboratories, which are fundamental, libraries, [ou seja] “serious investment, that’s what we’re advocating for,” he said.

The union leader stressed that the problems were old, arguing that the executive should have heard the union by now to hear its concerns.

“Since the union is not an opposition political party, and when good children manage to tell the truth to their parents, they should be heard and their advice should be heeded. We hope that the government, which has executive power, will be able to invite the union,” he said.

According to Secretary General Sinpes, “the low quality of higher education in Angola is a fact”, given that the issue of courses also depends on serious investments in adequate quality.

“This is what the union said, this is what we defend with our heads held high, we are the children of this country, we are not expatriates, and unfortunately, as long as the children of the land demand conditions, they will look for expatriates to pay better, and this is serious, a paradox,” he criticized.

This academic year, which begins on September 30, 191,700 places have been allocated in 106 higher education institutions in Angola, 38,300 places less than in the previous academic year.