Commercialization of education in Kenya has demeaned the integrity of education

It was so sad to note that according to World Bank, Kenya is producing graduates that are not well equipped with skills in the job market. Is the research a true reflection of what is happening on the ground? What could be the cause of all these?

While the issue has attracted attention from various stakeholders, it uncovers the morass that is slowly polluting our education system which for ages has been a center of reference in East Africa. All the same we cannot dispute the research.

With education system divided into private and public institutions it paves ways for students to be half baked and upon graduation they are less fit in their area of profession as they anticipated. How many institutions have been closed for failing to meet requirements by the commission of higher education?

Some universities that have been offering law were advised to close down because they failed to live up to the requirements. These are public institutions of higher learning entrusted by many and it was heartbreaking information to the students who were pursuing the course. More worse is when upon graduation; graduates are notified that the institution was not accredited to offer the particular course.

Furthermore private institutions have been perpetrators of the vice. I recall sometime back when ‘Certificate of Dooms’ hit the waves across the country after it was exposed by one of the media houses. While some institutions will have prerequisite requirements for one to be admitted some are money minded. The commercialization of education in Kenya has demeaned the integrity of education. Some individuals who even can’t read or write will surprise you with certificates. Where do they source all these?

Even in public universities admission is overstretched making it hard for the large population of students to scramble for few resources in our public institutions. With acute shortage of lectures students may graduate without being fully suitable for the courses they are pursuing.

While we keep 2030 vision in mind and devolution in course, we should have policies in education sector that will ensure graduates are not half baked. We need a productive Kenya which is hatched from productive graduates. We will be risking our economy if the same ‘half baked’ graduates are given responsibility as head government parastatals and county government.

To this end the government should tames rogue institutions that are out to do business and siphon money from parents in the name of education.