Restore glory lost by public universities

The push for a share of Government-sponsored students by private universities and colleges in Kenya is noble.

It’s unfair that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service Boards has a representation of two private university vice chancellors yet they never get regular student admission.

The increase in course accreditation charges by the Commission for University Education is too high and may result in fees hike for university programmes.

Initially free, accreditation of an extension campus will now cost Sh300,000 whereas charges for institutional accreditation visit has shot up to Sh1.8 million from Sh600,000. All this has been done without consulting stakeholders.

Private colleges and universities are known for their quality service. The Government should emulate the intense investment in education made in private learning institutions.

The dribs and drabs of facilities in public learning institutions are not worth the proficient education the world looks up to.

Thousands of graduates are said to be half-baked yet most of them were bright students who landed in public universities and colleges that are relatively less costly to pursue the lifetime dream careers.

The Ministry of Education should adhere to terms in its own Sessional Paper 14 of 2012 on access and equity to restore the glory lost by public universities.