KAMPALA – Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board – UBTEB has threatened to withdraw centre numbers from all accredited training institutions that do not meet the minimum standards.
The revelation was made by Dr. Nahamya Wilfred, Board Deputy Executive Secretary on Wednesday.
The ongoing inspection exercise which commenced on 20th February 2023, running for a period of 3 weeks across the country is intended at ensuring quality training of the students.
Dr. Nahamya told the press that the Board is currently responsible for 616 accredited institutions, 179 of which are government.
He noted that in accordance with the Board’s rules on the conduct of competence-based examinations, the training institutions accredited by the Board as examination centres are required to submit annual status reports to the Board to ensure that there is a continuous improvement by training institutions in regard to fulfilling the quality requirements by the Board.
“However, some of the institutions were not submitting these status reports and even those that submit our teams will move around to verify the situation on ground.”
“During the inspection exercise, ……the Heads of Centres are encouraged to fill the inspection tool and attach all the necessary documentation as proof of the requirements stipulated in the rules of conduct of Competence-Based Assessment and Examinations,” he added.
Dr. Nahamya says that the accredited training institutions that don’t meet the minimum standards will then risk a temporary withdraw of the centre numbers, withdraw some programmes, and granting full or provisional accreditation.
Mr. Deputy ES says withdrawing of a centre has a lot of implications “because you already have students and they’ll not sit at that centre.”
“But we don’t rush to that, we first assess, issue a warning and give you three months to put certain things in order and we withdraw completely if you haven’t adhered,” he said.
Asked if this is applying to government institutions as well, Dr. Nahamya said, “our mechanism doesn’t discriminate. Even if it is a government institution, they still apply for accreditation as an assessment centre. That’s why we are conducting the inspection together with the ministry of education, we shall bring it to their attention that this is an institution which you have licensed to teach for example motor vehicle but there isn’t any equipment as far as motor vehicle is concerned.”
The key requirements the Board considers to accredit any training institution include;
- Valid license or registration certificate by the Ministry of Education and Sports and License from NCHE for those offering diploma programmes
- The team of professional and qualified Staff and Management
- Infrastructure such as training workshops, laboratories, lecture rooms, ICT facilities among others.
