Students win battle over course accreditation charges

Thousands of students in universities have a reason to smile after the higher education regulator took full control of curriculum accreditation and supervision of academic programmes.

This will see the students save millions of shillings that they have been paying as accreditation fees to more than 30 professional bodies across the country. The fees have been running into millions of shillings although the agencies are funded by the exchequer.

The Commission for University Education (CUE) has since written to public and private universities to implement the order delivered by Justice James Makau in June this year.

The move will see professional bodies only play a consultancy role in the two processes. They will only perform inspections at the request of CUE.

CUE and regulators in the health, engineering, legal and education sectors have been at loggerheads over accreditation of programmes in universities following the amendment of the Universities Act in 2016 by the National assembly.

Quantity Surveyors

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB), Council for Legal Education, Engineers Board of Kenya and Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors are some of those barred from regulating academic programmes in universities and colleges.

In a letter to Vice-Chancellors and principals on August 13, CUE Chief executive officer Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi said given that there is no stay order on the ruling, the universities should implement it.

Prof Ntarangwi acknowledged that the petition had filed an appeal.

“The parties have filed their submission and they are awaiting ruling on the same. In the meantime, no orders were issued. In the absence of any order, the decision of Justice Makau still stands. As our stakeholders please take note of the position in this matter,” said Prof Ntarangwi in the letter.

He said the Commission will frequently keep universities updated on the proceedings in the matter.

A part from paying the professional bodies, each student in university pays Sh1,000 to CUE for quality assurance at bachelor level, Sh1,500 at masters level, 2,000 at PhD and Sh800 at post-graduate level.

Universities also pay CUE Sh640, 000 as accreditation fee per academic programme.

Last year, Vice-Chancellors asked the State to stop the "exorbitant" charges by at least 30 professional bodies and agencies.

The Vice-Chancellors Committee made the appeal in a report to the Ministry of Education and the National Assembly Education Committee.

Quality assurance

CUE also charges Sh1, 000 for quality assurance per student. With close to 600,000 learners, it makes Sh600 million. Then there is Sh900, 000 for quality audit per institution.

There are 73 universities, meaning the amount adds up to Sh57 million. The commission also charges universities for collaboration with foreign tertiary institutions.

Kenya Universities Colleges Central Placement Service charges Sh1, 500 per new student.

This year, it is projected to place more 600,000 students in universities and colleges. That means it is likely to make Sh900 million.

Academic programmes

The National Industrial Training Authority charges Sh50 per worker per month while the Technical Vocational Education and Training Authority is yet to define its charges for technical institutions.

The Council of Legal Education demands Sh1.6 million for accreditation, the Engineers Board (Sh1.2 million), Nursing Council of Kenya (500,000), Clinical Officers Council (Sh420,000) while the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors is given Sh1.2million for accreditation.

Vice-chancellors said the consequences of the charges are severe.

In his ruling, Justice Makau held that the amendment of the Universities Act was in essence a repeal of other sections of the law that gave professional bodies the power to inspect and supervise academic programmes in higher learning institutions.

Section 5A (1) of the Universities Act states that “if there is a conflict between the provisions of this Act and any other Act in matters relating to approval or accreditation of academic programmes offered by universities, the provisions of this Act shall prevail.”