By RAWLINGS OTIENO
The Commission for Higher Education is moving in to streamline ranking of universities in the country.
Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar said ranking would help develop a rationale of judging training in institutions of higher education.
“Rating and league tables of higher institutions are a global phenomenon, hence institutions need to know how well they are doing with respect to others globally,” said the minister.
In a speech read on her behalf by CHE Secretary Harry Kaane, Prof Kamar said more than 75 per cent of university students study irrelevant courses.
Speaking during a workshop to find ways of coming up with criteria of ranking universities at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Prof Kaane said a majority of the students take courses that do not reflect market needs.
“The biggest problem we have in Kenya is that most students take courses that are completely irrelevant and cannot meet the job market requirements. This is a disaster,” said Kaane.
Already there is a draft criterion for rating universities that once adopted, will bring sanity to the quality of courses that are being offered by various universities.
According to the draft seen by The Standard, universities will be ranked according to governance and management, admission profile, learning inputs and quality assurance.
Programmes offered
Kaane also suggested that universities should scrap off all Diploma and Certificate courses to concentrate on offering degree, masters and PhD courses.
Higher Education Commission Chairman David Some said the proposed draft would rank institutions on programmes offered and not on facilities and infrastructure.
