Raising the bar for higher learning

By Stephen Makabila

The planned auditing of post-secondary training institutions by the Ministry of Higher Education from next month is a timely first step to weed out bogus colleges.

While Higher Education Minister William Ruto hinted he would ensure quality training in higher learning institutions, his Assistant Minister Kilemi Mwiria revealed that names of institutions that meet basic requirements in the courses they offer would be published from next month in the local media.

The decision follows a meeting at the ministry, which resolved to audit all post-secondary institutions to standardise and raise quality of higher education. "It has come to our attention that having a college is a business as opposed of being a place where despite paying fees one gets some knowledge," said Dr Mwiria.

In April, the national literacy survey report coincided with concerns by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), that graduates entering the labour market were not good enough.

Human capital

Focus is on the quality of training as the country grapples with skilled workers shortage that is now being seen as one of the major obstacles to the realisation of the country’s development blueprint Vision 2030. "There is a mismatch between the competence of graduates and the market needs yet human capital remains a pillar of our development targets," said Mr Michael Kahiti, the chief economist at the Planning ministry.

Mr Musau Ndunda, the secretary-general of the Kenya National Association of Parents, says some institutions churn out graduates who cannot compete in the increasingly competitive labour market.

Curriculum

The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) national chairman, Sammy Kubasu, says most of colleges affiliated to public universities to offer diploma and degree courses were in deplorable conditions. "Maintaining quality is important and what the ministry intends to do is most welcome," he says.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Rift Valley Provincial Council Secretary Sammy Bor says parents have been suffering in the hands of unscrupulous college proprietors out to make profit. "We would want colleges that are cleared by the Government to have the right curriculum, physical facilities, quality teaching staff and be located within the right environment," he says.

Bor says the introduction of the Quality Assurance department in the Ministry of Education had resulted in an effective monitoring of private academies and private secondary schools.

While the Commission of Higher Education (CHE) has been vetting both private and public universities, most colleges lack relevant facilities and the manpower to offer courses they introduce.

Seek counsel

In an earlier interview with The Standard, CHE Chief Executive Officer Everret Standa said private and public universities have to maintain high standards as per their charters and letters of interim authority.

He was concerned over mushrooming of fake colleges and urged students seeking university or college admission to seek counsel from CHE before enrolling.

By last year, there were least 140,000 higher education students — 110,000 in public universities and 30,000 in private institutions — compared with some 91,500 students in 2005. Public universities have announced that they are planning a double intake.

But university administrators and education experts say double enrolment can only be successful if the Government allocates more funds for expansion purposes and hiring of lecturers.

There are seven public universities with 13 constituent colleges, and 23 private universities.

It is an infringement of the Universities Act, 1985 and Universities Rules, 1989 for a private institution to advertise and offer degree programmes without obtaining a Letter of Interim Authority from the Commission for Higher Education.

Any institution or person offering university education without authorisation by the CHE or having been established by an Act of Parliament commits an offence punishable by law.

The expected publication of qualified training in major daily newspapers, an exercise which will become a yearly ritual, marks the first step towards having a quality assurance and an accreditation system meant to weed out quacks in the education sector.

"The sad thing is that most parents do not know they are being fleeced due to ignorance and desperation to send their children to college." Mwiria said.

The audit will consider classroom space, qualification of staff and check if what is taught is the approved curriculum.

But Bor cautions that measures should be taken to avoid a situation where some colleges compromise the audit team to remain in operation.

"We appreciate the role middle level institutions play in our education system but they must offer quality training."

Mwiria says institutions that will have not satisfied the audit will be de-registered.