CUE warns it will shut down school-based programmes

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matian'gi with Commission for University Education secretary David Some during the first biennial conference on the state of higher education in Kenya at Kenyatta University on August 22, 2016. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The regulator also announced that it had discontinued 42 academic programmes from both public and private universities for being substandard while three others are being wound up.
  • Trimesters comprises three equal divisions — terms of between 13-15 weeks in an academic year — while quarters comprise four equal divisions — terms of between 9-12 weeks in an academic year.

Thousands of a teachers studying during school holidays will be required to spend enough hours in class for their degrees to be recognized.

Commission for University Education (CUE) chief executive officer David Some, while issuing the directive, lamented that several universities had failed to observe the contact hour rule despite being reminded on several occasions.

Prof Some warned that CUE will consider shutting down the programme that is commonly known as school- based if the issues raised are not addressed.

The regulator also announced that it had discontinued 42 academic programmes from both public and private universities for being substandard while three others are being wound up.

“Universities irrespective of the mode of delivery of learning is required to observe contact hour, be it evening classes, weekend classes, school based or distance learning,” said Prof Some.

He was speaking during the 1st biennial conference on the state of higher education at Kenyatta University.

However, Prof Some did not disclose when they will implement the directive that will greatly affect thousands of teachers who study during holidays when schools close in April, August and December.

Currently there are more than 290,000 teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and several others working in private schools.

Recently Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i raised concerns over failure by universities to adhere to the contact hour rule noting that the rule has been ignored by universities yet it’s set out in the guidelines and standards of universities.

One academic year is supposed to have 120hours.

According to the Universities standards and guidelines, the academic calendar for a university is divided into; semesters, which comprise two equal divisions — terms of between 15-17 weeks in an academic year.

Trimesters comprises three equal divisions — terms of between 13-15 weeks in an academic year — while quarters comprise four equal divisions — terms of between 9-12 weeks in an academic year.

A credit hour is supposed to be equivalent to a minimum of 13 instructional hours.

The Commission is also set to carry out an audit on qualifications of students enrolled in various university programmes across the country and publish student enrolment data annually.

Speaking at the same forum, CUE Deputy Secretary Anne Nangulu castigated public universities for setting up more programmes despite lack of capacity in terms of facilities and lecturers.

Prof Nangulu said the most affected institutions are university colleges which she said were duplicating courses from their mother universities therefore undermining government efforts to have quality education.