MPs back proposal banning diploma and certificate courses in universities
By Maureen Kinyanjui |
Students currently enrolled in these programmes in universities will be allowed to complete their studies.
The National Assembly's Committee on Education and Research has recommended the approval of a Bill that seeks to bar universities from offering diploma and certificate courses, effectively reserving these qualifications for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
The proposal, outlined in the Universities (Amendment) Bill (No. 5) of 2023, is sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru.
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The Bill aims to address the growing overlap between universities and TVET institutions in offering basic education qualifications.
According to the committee, this duplication has led to underutilisation of resources, overcrowding in universities, and inconsistencies in course quality.
The committee further noted that both the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and the Commission for University Education (CUE) currently share the responsibility of certifying diploma and certificate courses, which has created regulatory confusion and inefficiencies in the education sector.
The committee agreed with MP Gathiru's assertion that universities should focus solely on degree and postgraduate programmes, leaving diploma and certificate courses to TVET institutions.
If the Bill passes, universities will no longer offer basic certificates or diplomas, and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will be prohibited from placing students in such courses at universities.
However, students currently enrolled in these programmes will be allowed to complete their studies.
"This will streamline education offerings, eliminate regulatory confusion, and ensure more focused development of skills through TVET institutions," Gathiru said during the presentation of the Bill.
The proposal is part of a broader set of recommendations from the committee, which also includes other amendments to improve the higher education sector.
These include changes to the process of appointing chancellors for public universities, as outlined in the Universities (Amendment) Bill (No. 16 of 2024), sponsored by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya.
This Bill seeks to simplify the appointment process, currently hampered by bureaucratic delays, by allowing universities to directly submit a shortlist of candidates to the President for selection.
Another proposed amendment, the Universities (Amendment) Bill (No. 38 of 2023), sponsored by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, seeks to remove private universities' representation from the KUCCPS board.
The committee, however, disagreed with this suggestion, arguing that KUCCPS plays a crucial role in advising the government on university and college placements.
The committee also discussed the Basic Education (Amendment) Bill (No. 59 of 2023), which seeks to decentralise education oversight by establishing sub-county education boards, and the Universities (Amendment) Bill (No. 64 of 2023), which proposes abolishing the use of public funds for private universities and preventing KUCCPS from placing students in private institutions.
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