-As it offers Criminal justice, Nursing, Supply Chain Management, among others
By Mark N. Mengonfia – mmenginfia@gmail.com
There are reports that the Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education (C-VOTE) is operating beyond its scope of operation, but the authority of this institution has dismissed the claim.
Investigation conducted by this Reporter shows that the C-VOTE was only given a certificate by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to provide vocational education, but the institution is now offering courses that are outside its scope.
The institution, according to information gathered, was certificated by the MoE to offer fist level computer training, hair dressing, auto driving, catering, heavy duty driving, among others, but the institution has left the Technical vocational education level and has begun offering criminal justice, nursing, hotel management, secretarial science, public administration, sociology, management.
Other courses the institution is offering outside their limit include accounting, customer service, banking/finance, hotel & tourism, reporting writing, information technology, and supply chain management among others.
In an effort to establish all facts surrounding the institution, our reporter communicated with the Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Commission on Higher Education, Emmanuel Gweh, who said that the Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education (C-VOTE) is yet to get accreditation from them to operate.
Mr. Gweh said, “our office received the information that the institution is offering courses that they are not to offer, but it has not reach us.”
As a benchmark for any institution to operate a tertiary education in Liberia, Mr. Gweh said institution needs to first get an application form and officially apply for accreditation after which the Commission will do all their assessments before accrediting the institution.
He said as part of the process, the institution needs to provide what he calls Standard Operation Plan (SOP), set of courses, check list, comprehensive report of the institution, among others.
“Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education has just bought our accreditation form, but has not returned it yet, from the MoE I believe they played their part” Mr. Gweh added.
Speaking in an interview at his St. Samuel High School Building in central Monrovia, the Training Director of Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education, Lamie Kiawu described the information as “huff and toy”.
He said that they have a level two certificate from the Ministry of Education to operate those programs and are also on the right path of ensuring that their documentation with the Commission on Higher Education is satisfied
Additional information gathered has it that the institution recent graduation on the 29 of December 2018 was marked by controversies wherein the institution illegally graduated some students who were not qualified by the Director of the Department of journalism.
According to a press release in the possession of our reporter, the Director of the department of Journalism, Mr. Josiah Kpadeh distanced himself from the December 29, 2018 graduation of the Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education (C-VOTE) on the Du-port Road in Paynesville particularly in the area of Developmental Journalism.
“Following my post nine months evaluation as an experienced media practitioner and trainer as well as Head of Department at this institution, I did realize that three male students of my department were unqualified to graduate on grounds that they performed dismally and as well failed to complete several courses required,” Kpadeh added.
At the same time, the Christopolis Vocational and Technical Education Training Director, Mr. Lamie Kiawu said he did not communicate with the Executive Director of the school, Mr. Benjamin Karnga and provided reasons as to the danger to allow those he considered as ‘untrained’ individuals into the media landscape.
“We are legally operating, every institution people will have dissatisfactions, it could be budget, it could be promotion; but it is just normal about institution so Josiah Kpadeh could be dissatisfy based on some administrative,” Mr. Kiawu said.
When he was quizzed about the duration of programs they are offering, he said “the issue has been about the mass communication department so let us limit it to it.
He declined to comment on the durations, but said that the Journalism department runs for one year with three months of internship.
Recently, the National Commission on Higher Education blacklisted several institutions who were running programs, including Nursing that they were not accredited to do.