MOSUL TIME RADIO
On Friday, the Federal Integrity Commission shed light on the reality of private university education in Iraq, and while it called for amending the private higher education law to suit the reality of private universities and colleges, it said that 34 private universities and colleges have not paid the Ministry of Higher Education’s share of total revenues since 2016. 46 out of 72 private colleges and universities are at the college level, not university level .
The Government Information and Communications Office explained in a statement “A team composed of the Prevention Department made visits to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and a number of its departments, to learn about the reality of the state of universities and private colleges,” indicating that “Law No. (25 of 2016) weakened the Ministry’s powers of follow-up and supervision, which allows intervention and monitoring of their performance,” And not being able to follow up on administrative and financial affairs .”
He pointed out that “the law was passed after removing and changing many important articles and paragraphs that required legislation, which led to restricting the performance and powers of the ministry, according to officials in the Department of Private University Education .”
The Information Office pointed out that “the Prevention Department, in a report a copy of which was sent to the Office of the Prime Minister, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Parliamentary Education Committee, and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, proposed reconsidering the issue of exempting private universities and colleges from direct withholding taxes.” And income, and obligating it to pay the tax to the Ministry of Finance/General Tax Authority, noting that the Department of Private University Education is not committed to stopping transactions with colleges that have not paid the tax amounts they owe .”
The office noted that the Ministry did not suspend admission to (34) private universities and colleges that had not paid the Ministry’s share of annual revenues amounting to (3%) of total annual revenues since 2016. Despite being given a period of three months to pay, otherwise acceptance will be suspended .
The report recommended taking into account qualitative planning when establishing private colleges and universities in light of the needs of the labor market according to a technical and economic feasibility study, and forming audit and review committees for previously established colleges that are responsible for auditing the buildings, areas, nature of the property, capacity, institutional bodies, and teaching staff, diagnosing violations, and suspending admission to them in the event of any presence. Violations, in addition to setting a serious vision for the establishment of government universities, in line with the need according to the geographical distribution of population, strengthening the role of the Ministries of Planning and Health when establishing universities, and emphasizing the non-approval of the establishment of any university, college, or affiliated departments; Only after completing all requirements for creation .
He also spoke about the importance of activating the role of the scientific supervision and evaluation apparatus through field visits to universities and colleges and following up on their work, and setting a stable work context for the work of the follow-up committees in the Department of Private University Education, to carry out their role on a periodic and continuous basis, calling for obligating teachers and employees working in universities and colleges to sign a pledge. Not to work in public universities, in a manner that does not conflict with applicable laws .
The report touched on the presence of (46) out of (72) private colleges and universities in Iraq bearing the name “University College.” Although its name does not match its level, and it is at the level of a college and not a university, he stressed the need to oblige universities and colleges to implement the quality standards, criteria and indicators of the Iraqi classification guide for universities. For the purpose of measuring its institutional performance, in addition to holding scientific conferences periodically with the participation of researchers from scientifically advanced countries, preparing solid research plans, and publishing them in accredited international journals.
