A competence inspection jointly carried out recently by the National Council of Technical Education (NACTE) and the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) revealed that only two media training colleges in the country follow the established national syllabus that places emphasis on competency.
Executive Secretary of MCT, Kajubi Mukajanga
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam on Friday, the Executive Secretary of MCT, Kajubi Mukajanga named A3 Institute of Professional Studies and Arusha Journalism Training College respectively.
Five other colleges have been given an ultimatum until December, this year to conform or face closure. Five other colleges ordered to comply before end of December, this year include the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism, Time School of Journalism, Royal College of Tanzania (all in Dar es Salaam), the Institute of Social and Media Studies (Arusha) and Zanzibar Journalism and Mass Media College of Zanzibar.
According to Mr Mukajanga, the College in Zanzibar may need more time pending amendment of the Act that governed its establishment to enable the college conform to acceptable standards and the syllabus.
“Owners of media training colleges should stop unprofessional practices which compromise knowledge, competence and practical training of trainee journalists. Media colleges are there for making money but rather to provide skills for professional journalism,” insisted Mukajanga.
He further went on to say, “We (MCT) expect the relevant authorities to speed up the process leading to the fulfilment of the specified conditions for this state owned media college in Zanzibar to operate professionally.
The specified certificate and diploma level syllabus is for National Technical Wards levels 4, 5, and 6,” he insisted. The Council made it clear that compliance to the NACTE conditions is not enough but sustainability of the high standards was necessary or else have their activities suspended all together.
The basic criteria observed during inspection of media colleges include competence of teaching staff, infrastructure, learning and teaching facilities, college administrative proficiency, among other factors.
“Any college fulfilling all conditions receives the approval by NACTE to operate accordingly and those found to comply by 50 per cent are allowed to operate under a six-month probation before another inspection is carried out,” he explained.
Other colleges which have been allowed to operate before being inspected in the next six months include EMACS College of Arts and Media, Muslim University of Morogoro and Kyela Polytechnic College.
Two others allowed to use the national syllabus and start operations pending completion of special training to instructors/tutors are Morogoro School of Journalism and Sophist Tanzania College of Iringa. Habari Maalum College of Arusha prepared its own syllabus which has been approved by NACTE as it complied with the required conditions.
By BILHAM KIMATI, Tanzania Daily News
