Nyeri Polytechnic gets nod to offer own exams

Nyeri National Polytechnic. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Students at the Nyeri National Polytechnic will now start sitting for special examinations set by the institution and not Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).

This comes after the training facility was issued with a certificate of qualification to develop its own curriculum, whereby students will be trained and awarded with certificates by the institution.

Students from other training institutions in the country can now train on the qualifications developed by the polytechnic.

It becomes the third polytechnic to achieve such status.

Others are Meru and The Kenya Coast National Polytechnic which will have an examining body that is approved by Kenya National Qualification Authority (KNQA).

Speaking during the awarding of the certificate of qualification to the institution, Principal Secretary for Technical and Vocational Training (Tvet) Dr Esther Muoria said the law allows national polytechnics to train, graduate and issue certificates to students.

"Just as the universities train and examine their students and award them with degrees, the same should happen in TVET institutions. The polytechnics have a responsibility to develop a curriculum, train and graduate students and issue them with certificates," she said.

She observed that students from other polytechnics can now learn and train from courses offered at the institution.

"KNQA is mandated to approve and issue certificates to polytechnics that qualify to develop a curriculum which means that students from other institutions can now train from their colleges and after graduation, they are issued with a certificate from the Nyeri National Polytechnic," she said.

According to KNQA Director General Alice Kande, the State will ensure national qualifications are globally competitive and meet the industry requirements.

"The ministry is charged with the responsibility of producing skilled youths which is much more needed than the academic papers. To eradicate unemployment, we need to equip youths with skills," she said.

"For the Nyeri National Polytechnic, we are confident that what is going to be offered in this institution will impact positively all the students who will take these courses and that they will do meaningful engagements in the labour market," she said.

She added that the exercises will be carried out in all other national polytechnics.