PRIVATE COLLEGES, POLYTECHNICS TO BE RATED THROUGH MYQUEST, POLYRATE

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- All private colleges in the country will be rated
through the Malaysian Quality Evaluation System (MyQUEST) beginning this year to
ensure quality of the courses offered, Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled
Nordin said.

As for polytechnics, he said, they would be rated under a system known as
Polyrate, also to be implemented this year.

"We already have the Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education (Setara) to
rate the achievement by universities and university colleges, while MyQUEST is
for private colleges," he said after delivering his new year message to the
ministry's staff at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) Monday.

Khaled said there were 402 private colleges registered with the ministry currently.

Elaborating on Polyrate, he said a consultant had been appointed to develop an
instrument to gather, analyse data and prepare a report on polytechnic rating.

"The outcome of the MyQUEST and Polyrate ratings will be known end of this
year," he added.

In another development, Khaled encouraged the setting up of a student parliament
in all institutions of higher learning (IPT) as a platform for under graduates
to voice their views on current and related issues.

He said that currently, the concept was only adopted by Universiti Sains
Malaysia (USM).
-- BERNAMA