Media Council warns colleges over curriculum

Media Council of Kenya deputy CEO Victor Bwire during a past event in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | DIANA NGILA |

What you need to know:

  • Council says they must abide by the approved syllabus or face closure.

Middle-level colleges offering diplomas in journalism and media studies must abide by an approved syllabus from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development or face closure, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has warned.

MCK Deputy Chief Executive Officer Victor Bwire on Monday also warned that certificates from colleges using their own guidelines will be useless.

“Students and parents must demand to know if a college is accredited by the council and if it is offering the required curriculum. Certificates and diplomas from such colleges will not be honoured,” he said.

The curriculum, which has been under scrutiny since last year, was examined and approved by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority and the Commission for Higher Education on Thursday.

Employers have been complaining that learning institutions are churning out "half-baked" graduates in various professional fields, coupled up with the mushrooming of "backstreet" colleges. The move by the council is a way of dealing with the insufficiency.

“In addition to traditional course units, the curriculum provides for industry-specific driven courses and lays emphasis on specialisation for trainees. It comes with specific tailored courses teaching modules that seek to fill the gaps in the industry,” Mr Bwire said in a statement.

INSPECTION COMMITTEE

Colleges will be required to use the curriculum in courses, and examinations will be handled in collaboration with the Kenya National Examinations Council.

The media regulator has also set up an industry-led committee for the inspection and accreditation of colleges.

“The teams will go around the country to ensure training institutions have complied with the set standards and have requisite personnel and equipment,” the deputy CEO said.

The Media Council Act of 2013 empowers the council to regulate standards of journalism training in the country. However, this should be achieved in consultation with other relevant institutions.

It is an offence for an institution to offer training without the approval and accreditation of the council.