Public varsities will know how they rate soon

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Public universities will have an indication of their overall competitiveness, when the results of the Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education (Setara) are released in the next two weeks.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the results of the rating would also assist the institutions to continually improve.

He was speaking to reporters after making his first visit to the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) yesterday.

Former Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said last year that a pilot test for the rating exercise using 2005 data from the public universities had been carried out but the results were not made public as there were inaccuracies in the data and queries about terminology.

Mohamed Khaled said he had asked the MQA to study if Setara could be extended to private universities and university colleges.

He said the ministry was also looking into whether all programmes at private institutions should be accredited.

“If Malaysia wants to become a regional centre of educational excellence, we need to be able to tell foreign students that the programmes offered are of quality,” he said.

About 39% of all programmes offered by private institutions are presently accredited.

Mohamed Khaled said the MQA would be carrying out an academic performance audit on 57 public and private institutions.

“The audit will begin in June this year and will check on the quality of teaching and learning in these institutions as stated under the National Higher Education Strategic Plan,” he said.