Report: Rush for degrees bad for Kenya

The quest for university degrees is starving middle level sectors of the much-needed technical skills, education experts have warned.

Kenya is grappling with an estimated gap of about 30,000 engineers, 90,000 technicians and 400,000 artisans, according to an education strategy paper for 2014-2018.

“The shortage of middle level technicians and artisans is hampering the country’s economic growth prospects,” reads the Africa Development Bank Group (ADB) report.

The document says Kenya Engineers Registration Board estimated the ratio of engineers, technicians and artisans required by the country to achieve middle-income status at 1:12:60. The current ratio is only 1:3:13.

Current training trends show that students shun middle level colleges and opt for universities even those who have not met the minimum varsity entry requirements.

“Even students who score bellow C+ would rather get enrolled to study diploma and certificate courses in universities rather than technical institutions,” said John Muraguri, Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer.

Muraguri told an education forum that 50 middle level colleges, which offer competitive diploma and certificate programmes, hardly attract enough students.

NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS

“They fail to attract these students because of the perceptions attached to the middle level colleges. Everyone wants to go to an institution with the name ‘university’ and this is affecting key sectors of the economy,” said Muraguri.

He said a diploma at university only helps students to upgrade. “But a diploma in a TIVET is thorough and gives you skills that enhance your chances for employment,” said Muraguri.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi chaired the meeting that brought together Vice Chancellors, Chairpersons of Universities, and Semi-autonomous Government Agencies.

Data from KUCCPS indicate that only 11, 523 students will join the 50 middle level colleges under the diploma programs next month, against the declared capacity of 44, 828.

Of the 483,630 candidates who sat last year’s KCSE examinations, only 149,717 scored the minimum university entry grade of C+.

This means that some 333, 913 students scored C (plain) and below, hence did not qualify for university degrees admission.

The meeting heard that unless students are encouraged to take up technical courses in middle level colleges, the country risks missing requisite skills to steer the economy.

“If parents join us in letting children know that going to polytechnic or a technical institution does not make you a failure, the better for the nation because that is the truth,” said Kaimenyi.