NEW! Universities Sabotage Kenya Vision 2030
Written by Riziki Wa Makokha |
Kenya Vision 2030 is the nation’s new development blueprint for 2008 to 2030 which aims at making Kenya a newly industrialized middle income country providing high quality standard of life for all its citizens by the year 2030 (NESC, 2007). For Kenya to become an industrialized nation by 2030, it requires a vibrant Technical Vocational Education and Training (TIVET) system - now threatened by unjustifiable take-overs of tertiary institutions by universities. The takeovers deny the government the opportunity to increase the transition rates from schools to technical institutes.
Vision 2030 relies on science, technology and innovation (STI) in the promotion of people’s socio-economic development, democracy and governance. A new incentive structure is to be developed to support the use of STI in specialized research centers.
The absurd takeovers of middle level colleges including polytechnics and teacher training colleges by universities is bound to impact negatively on the production of middle-level personnel required for Kenya to achieve Vision 2030 goals. This country needs skilled human capital to drive the industrialization process yet universities indulge in upgrading college, hitherto producing the much needed technicians and artisans, into constituent university college to churn out thousands of unemployable white-collar top level operatives.
So far more than ten mid-level colleges have been converted into constituent colleges of Moi, Maseno, and Kenyatta universities, Jomo-Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and University of Nairobi. There is fear that
these constituent colleges will gradually phase out diploma training, despite their assurances evolving into full-fledged universities as exemplified by Maseno or Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. The conversion of these institutions and several others into universities has severely affected the training of second-tier professionals.
The Government has the resources to set up university constituent colleges and cannot, therefore, justify its move to deliberately kill middle colleges. This irrational strategy has progressively shrunk opportunities for many Kenyans who failed to secure university admissions, but otherwise have the potential of contributing to nation building.
Besides, by simply converting a diploma or certificate level institution into a university, universities are ignoring certain basic requisites and philosophies that informed the establishment of their universities, most universities have a core function aptly put in their mission, vision and philosophies. The broad deviation from their core functions is a clear indicator that achievement of international standards in the areas of higher education remains a mirage. The West provides quality university education largely because of six requisites: An idea, capital, a definite plan, and an able staff of co-educators, books and apparatus. These are the things we need for unequalled education at all levels, not the cannibalism of existing institution.
One of the greatest strengths universities in the West use to attract students is the quality and quantity of books in their libraries. They also pride themselves as having first-rate laboratories and distinguished faculty staff. The greatest danger facing new public universities in this country is that they may - contrary to the appearance and fanfare - lack sufficient financial resources to secure first-rate library and laboratory systems for the new institutions. They may also fail to secure good educators or provide quality education.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
More News
|
|
