Rwandan students who graduated from three private universities will have to repeat some of the work in courses they have already completed before they can be employed or continue their studies at public institutions in Rwanda. The decision by the Rwandan Ministry of Education is affecting hundreds of students.
The Rwandan ministry of education has cautioned against qualifications from the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS), the Catholic University of Rwanda (CUR) and Uganda’s Cavendish University.
According to the Rwanda Minister of Education, Dr Valentine Uwamariya, Cavendish University is not accredited in Uganda and, therefore, qualifications obtained from the institution cannot be recognised in Rwanda.
She said students from Cavendish University should enrol in local universities and start afresh, as their qualifications cannot be accepted.
“We urged the affected students to seek readmission to local universities offering similar courses,” Uwamariya said.
Students who graduate from universities outside Rwanda have to apply for recognition of their qualifications (equivalence) from the Higher Education Council (HEC), which is part of the ministry of education in Rwanda, before they can start working.
Cavendish University is however accredited and recognized as a private university by the Uganda National Council of Higher Education (NCHE).
One of the affected students from Cavendish University said she was not happy with the decision from the HEC.
“It is really discouraging. I enrolled in the university knowing it was accredited. I wonder whether all my efforts and expenses will have been in vain. I am not ready to redo courses,” she said, asking to remain anonymous.
