QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TERTIARY EDUCATION IN MAURITIUS

1. QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TERTIARY EDUCATION IN MAURITIUS by Goolam Mohamedbhai Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Mauritius

2. Fact Sheet On Mauritius • Small island in the Indian Ocean • Govt.: Parliamentary democracy • Independent from UK since March 1968 • Area: 2000 km2 • GNP/capita = US $ 4 600 • Literacy rate = 86% • National strategy for transforming Mauritius into a Knowledge Hub & Centre for Higher Learning • Foreign promoters encouraged to set up branch campus in Mauritius

3. Overview of Tertiary Education Sector • Institutions broadly classified as public and private sector, and regional • Tertiary Education Institutions (TEI’s) also referred to as post-secondary institutions – offering postgraduate, undergrad, diploma & certificate courses

4. Public Sector Institutions • 2 Universities: Univ of Mauritius, Univ of Tech Mauritius • Mauritius Institute of Education, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius College of the Air (distance learning college) • 2 Polytechnics: Swami Dayanand Institute of Management, Institut Superieur de Technologie • Mauritius Institute of Health (under Ministry of Health) • Industrial & Vocational Training Board • Total enrolment = 11,700, 55% at Univ of Mauritius, the oldest & largest institution, operational 1968

5. Private Sector Institutions • 35 local, privately established institutions • 50 overseas institutions delivering education through local bodies • Characteristics of private institutions: part-time programmes; market-driven, ‘soft’ subjects; small cohorts; offer foreign courses under franchise agreement; agents for DE institutions overseas • Enrolment: approx. 7 500, 39% of total enrolment in Mauritius, and increasing continuously • No foreign university branch so far

6. Regional Institutions • Institut de la Francophonie pour l’Entrepreuneuriat, set up by AUF, caters for African region • SSR Medical College, Indian institution affiliated to Univ of Mauritius • Mauras College of Dentistry, Indian institution affiliated to Univ of Bhavnagar in India ------------------------------------------------------ Mauritian students studying overseas = 6 800 Total tertiary education enrolment rate = 20% Plan is to increase this to 35%

7. INSTITUTIONS OVERSEEING TERTIARY EDUCATION • Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) • National Accreditation and Equivalence Council (NAEC) (now defunct) • Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA)

8. 1: Tertiary Education Commission • Created 1988 as a parastatal body under Ministry of Education • Main responsibilities at time of creation: Plan, develop, coordinate TEI’s under its purview; allocate govt funds; ensure accountability & optimum use of resources • Institutions under TEC’s purview: 1. Univ. of Mtius 2. Mtius Inst. of Education 3. Mahatma Gandhi Inst. 4. Mtius College of the Air; 5. (later in 2000) Univ of Tech Mtius • In 1988, no private institutions & QA not yet applicable

9. 2. NAEC • Established by Govt in 1997 under Ministry of Education • Main objective was to ensure quality education in Mtius • To establish equivalence of qualifications of institutions within & outside Mtius • To undertake academic audits and accreditation of institutions • Was meant to serve as the QA agency in Mtius • But never really fulfilled its mission

10. 3. Mauritius Qualifications Authority • Set up in 2001 under Ministry of training & HRD • Main objective was to evaluate & recognise qualifications awarded by technical/vocational training institutions but this was not explicit • MQA started to also evaluate post-secondary qualifications • Overlap in responsibilities between MQA & NAEC (recognition of qualifications) • Overlap also between MQA & TEC (public TEI’s)

11. MAJOR CHANGES IN 2005 • MQA Act amended, to be responsible for only technical/vocational institutions • NAEC demolished, all responsibilities passed on to TEC • TEC explicitly given responsibility for ensuring quality of public & private post-secondary institutions • TEC Act amended to give it the following additional responsibilities w.r.t. post-secondary institutions: 1. register & accredit private institutions 2. recognise & determine equivalence of qualifications 3. promote quality through QA & accreditation mechanisms

12. TEC & QA (Public Institutions) • Set up QA & Accreditation Division in 1997 • Quality Assurance Cmttee (with rep from each TEI) • May 1997: major seminar “QA in Higher Education” with overseas academics • 1999: “Framework for QA in Tertiary Education Sector in Mtius” published to guide TEI’s • 1999: workshop on “Setting Up of Institutional QA Systems” for all TEI’s • TEC’s model is for each TEI to set up its own QA system. “Guidelines for Establishment of QA Systems” published • TEC defines quality as ‘fitness of purpose’ and ‘fitness for purpose’

13. External Auditing of Public TEI’s by TEC • 2000: “Guidelines for Self Assessment” published • 2004: “Quality Audit Handbook” published • Procedure for external audit: -TEI to prepare self-assessment portfolio -Portfolio assessed by external audit panel set up by TEC in consultation with TEI -Panel visits TEI over 3-4 days, then submits its report to TEI through TEC, for comments -Panel finalises report & submits it to TEC & TEI -TEI to act on recommendations & later informs TEC of outcome of actions taken • An aggrieved TEI may appeal to Minister who sets up an ad hoc committee to hear and decide on the case. • 2005-07: First cycle of auditing of TEI’s by TEC. Univ of Mtius audited in May 2005.

14. Accreditation of Private Institutions by TEC • Any PI has to register with TEC which then accredits its academic programmes • “Programme Accreditation” & “Guidelines for Programme Accreditation” published • Accreditation Panel chaired by TEC Director & includes 2 subject specialists • Panel may grant provisional accreditation subject to quality control by TEC during the programme period. Subsequently accreditation may be granted for the full duration of the programme • Panel may also refer back an application with recommendations for resubmission, or reject it

15. QA at Univ of Mauritius • UoM started putting QA system in place in mid 90’s – in parallel to TEC’s initiatives • QA under Pro-VC for curriculum development • Guidance from a number of foreign academics • Strategic Plan (1999-2004) prepared • Review of all academic processes started • University Quality Assurance Team (UQAT) set up under Senate. Also FQAT in Faculties, UQAT in Administration • Outcome: QA documents detailing procedures, questionnaires, evaluation forms, etc. • 2002: QA Office with full-time Director appointed • 2004: Self assessment & mock internal audit undertaken • 2005: External Audit by TEC • 2006: Draft Audit Panel’s report received & views submitted. Final report awaited for recommendations

16. Some Issues for Consideration • Why was NAEC unable to function? Lack of leadership, poor governance structure, insufficient resources • Should technical education not be under Ministry of Education? • Dividing line between technical and post-secondary education is blurred. Hence, still overlap between MQA & TEC. Different Ministries complicate matters further. • TEC still responsible for channelling govt funds to public TEI’s. Conflict of interest in TEC being also a QA agency? • No legal provision for TEC to charge fees for accreditation • Should Director of TEC chair Programme Accreditation Panel for PI’s? • Serious lack of trained human resources in QA at TEC & TEI’s • Preparing for external audit takes enormous institutional effort -time & paperwork. Academic work suffers, especially in a small institution. Too many Cmttees set up at U of Mtius

17. THANK YOU