Following press reports about a ban slapped by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research on 16 higher education institutes, directors of some of them denied they have received any official warning.

They said they have not received any official letter from the ministry and were annoyed that the news has created panic and anxiety amongst students and their families. They said the ministry is not likely to ban any institute, but it is only investigating them to better manage the process of distance education.

"We never received any official letter from the ministry and we will continue to run our programmes as usual," said Dr Jyothish Kumar, Managing Director of Our International Dhafir Institute, one of the institutes mentioned in the list.

"Nevertheless the news spread panic among students, and parents are asking for an explanation."

The institute represents the Mahatma Gandhi University of Kerala, India, and is licensed here by the Ministry of Education and Youth.

Dr Kumar said the institute provides distance education programme and is recognised by the Indian higher education authorities.

"Our students are enrolled with the university in India. Here we do not offer degree certificates, but provide coaching courses in different disciplines. Students take their examinations at the Indian embassy and are supervised by officials there."

The case of Dhafir Institute is similar to that of other institutes which offer academic courses to students enrolled with universities back home.

These students aim at getting a university degree recognised in their home country rather than in the UAE.

M.K. Jawahar, Director of Wisdom Educational Institute, also included in the list, said he is confident that the ministry will not enforce a ban but rather regulate the field of distance education.

The institute represents two Indian universities, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, which has branches throughout the Gulf region, and the Madurai Kamaraj University.

The institute has enrolled more than 600 Indian students from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. "I believe solutions will be found in the next few months to regulate the field of distance education. It is very important because it meets the needs of many expatriate students and workers who aim to get higher education with recognised institutes back home."

Another director and regional representative of an American University, who asked not to be named, denied that he received any warning from the ministry.

He said the sector of distance education looks forward to regulation, but the ministry's move will only hit the students of low income families or workers who want to complete their higher studies but cannot afford the fees of the reputed colleges.

"Many institutes here provide academic courses to low income individuals who also have the right to pursue education. To be licensed and meet the requirements of the ministry they will have to levy new fees on their students, not affordable for all any more," he said.

Asked about the future of the institute, the director said the alternative will be either to quit or to provide only short-term courses, but he said this is not a solution.

He said the ministry should rather consider the circumstances in which every institute is operating and safeguard the rights of students belonging to the low income group.

Meanwhile, a ministry source said yesterday that warnings were sent to 11 institutes last week and five more were mailed only yesterday.

"We have clearly informed the institutes that they cannot provide academic courses, without been licensed by it. We have warned them that they have to abide by three major requests. Firstly, to immediately stop enrolling new students in the ongoing programmes. Secondly, to quit their programmes starting from the next semester, in September 2003.

"Finally, we have asked them to inform by mail all the students currently enrolled with them about the above measures. All the institutes will have to provide the ministry with the list of students who have been informed."