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{
    "id": 140585,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/140585/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 366,
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    "content": "Permanent Secretary in the Ministry are persons of great learning and, therefore, issues that we are prosecuting here on this Vote are issues that, perhaps, they, more than any of us, are fully and intimately aware of. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me start by commending the Ministry for the very encouraging and reformist steps it is taking in moving this Ministry forward, and addressing issues affecting higher education in this country. In this regard, I want to commend the proposed new law that seeks to consolidate the individual statutes that manage our various universities. I do believe that this will really take this country forward in terms of improving regulation and oversight of the council over our universities and other institutions of higher learning. The reason I emphasize this particular point and give my commitment that this is one Bill I cannot wait to see come to the Floor of this House; and one that I believe this House will fully support, is that we need to balance the question of quality versus quantity. So, even as we plan to expand the spectre of higher education in this country, we want to do it in a manner that does not compromise quality. I do believe that this law will go a long way in supporting that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also hope that some of the issues that will be addressed as we move towards this direction, is the proliferation of campuses. Of course, everybody wants to see university education expanded. But we do not want proliferation that compromises quality. We want a regulation that is flexible enough to allow growth, but is strict enough to assure quality. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also want to see this Ministry addressing what I would call the risk of the missing middle. In the recent past, we have seen a scenario of universities gobbling up every polytechnic and middle level college in the country. I just have this fear that we may go into the scenario of the missing middle where we expand the highest level of learning but then, we do not have the middle level that is critical for the progression of any country. That is something which I hope that the Ministry will look into, so that we also strengthen middle level colleges and institutes of technology and provide scholarship and other forms of assistance to students accessing education at these levels. Let me commend the Minister for having laid a foundation stone for a new middle level, an institute of technology in my constituency, one that we have fast tracked. I do hope that by next year, it will be taking its first batch of students. I believe this is in the direction of ensuring that we do not miss the middle as we support higher education."
}