Education Minister asks universities to set admission standards

Higher Education Minister Abdulkadir Hashi has called on universities in the country come with admission standards to ensure the quality of graduates meets world standards.

Hashi said it was impractical for universities to operate without standards allowing everyone admission and not considering their academic qualifications.

“Universities have to set standards for admission. You cannot admit everyone just because they need to get a university degree,” said Hashi. The Minister also questioned the criteria universities use in awarding marks students, a system he says ensures every student passes exams.

The Minister’s remarks come amid concerns most universities operate just to attain commercial ends without caring on the caliber of graduates it releases to the market. The lack of a national policy on higher education has also significantly contributed to this hence the relatively high number of universities in the country, some which hardly meet any basic requirement of a university.

Somalia has only one public university which re-opened in 2014 absence a 25 year hiatus since it closed after the collapse of government in 1991.

Hashi also appealed to universities to consider developing a quota system for scholarships to students from poor backgrounds.

The Minister was speaking during a meeting in Mogadishu which brought together heads of 40 universities in the country.