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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has condemned academics, staff and students operating in a syndicate in order to do student placements and applauded investigations that are being instituted. A call has been made that policies that have been announced by government and authorised by Parliament must be implemented. Universities will be requested to inform Parliament what steps are being taken to close any loopholes that might be used to undermine legislation and policies.

Two years ago, a Polish economist leading a private university in Warsaw, was contacted by headhunters from Moscow. They had spotted his profile on LinkedIn and wanted a Russian-speaking European university leader to reform the prominent Narxoz University in Almaty, a city in the far east of vast Kazakhstan, a few hours’ drive from the borders of north-western China. Sixteen months into his job as rector, he told Times Higher Education about his efforts to root out cheating, plagiarism, corruption and staid teaching, which have led to the firing of hundreds of academics.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched a report on the Free Primary Education (FPE) programme, after the Ministry of Education revealed that most schools cannot account for the funds. According to the EACC Chief Executive Officer, the report will help in ensuring accountability in public schools, given that heads of schools will be required to detail how every shilling allocated by the government is spent.

A report by the Joint Legislative Public Account Committee (PAC) has linked a former Minister of Education and his deputy to misapplication of US$60,493 during their tenure at the Ministry of Education. The money, according to the report, was intended for the Government of Liberia Free and Compulsory Primary Education program.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education last week slammed the parents for paying Form One entrance examination fees saying they did that at their own peril as the Government has set an enrolment date for all the schools in the country. He said the entrance exams were banned long back by his ministry and have remained illegal and should not be left to continue. Enrolment of Form One students for next year started yesterday with parents expected to use their children's Grade Seven results.