Dear Editor,
There are some who were relieved to learn of the active role of the National Accreditation Council as notified in SN of August 11, 2018
However, from the perspective of seasoned Human Resources Management Practitioners, there may well be a case for enquiring whether the scope of its monitoring is proactive enough to deal with the spate of institutions who purport to offer credible post –secondary education and related certification.
With respect to individual certification they may prefer that it does not fall to the responsibility of a single Assessment Officer and that, hopefully, the latter’s recommendations are reviewed, preferably at the level of the Council, at least for consistency. For certain their collective authority should be utilised in the case of a Master’s Degree.
It is possible, however, that the sequencing of investigation may be wrong, since the prerequisite should be that it is the institution which should have already been recognised to offer NAC approved programmes.
The foregoing having been said one would hope that it is, not inappropriate to seek clarification of what is referred to as ‘Guyana’s Draft Qualification Frame-work’, and of its legal status. A ‘Draft Framework’ does not appear to suggest an approved policy.
If so, then the National Accreditation Council would not appear to be operating on a comprehensive legal foundation.
Notwithstanding, there is good reason to be concerned about the quality of the several products (graduates) from some of the institutions under discussion. Close interactions, as well as careful examination of respective résumés for positions with which the undersigned has been involved over recent years in Guyana, more specifically during the recruitment process, have too often revealed a suspect level of educational achievement being allowed as eligible to qualify for entry into a ‘Master’s’ Programme. In effect, the latter is substituted for a First Degree.
As a Human Resources Practitioner with long experience in recruiting senior professionals throughout the Caribbean, one is too often disconcerted by the lack of the depth of understanding of the very programme which the local graduates should bring to the interview table.
From the letter of the Executive Director, it would appear that the NAC might possibly share similar or related concerns (even if only at the ‘Draft’ stage).
Yours faithfully
E.B. John
