It is another turn of events as the Basic diploma and certificate courses will be abolished from university academic programmes incase the Parliament approves proposals by Embakasi Central lawmaker , honourable Benjamin Gathiru.
Under the new newly released and published Universities Amendment no. 5 of 2023 Bill, Gathiru now proposes that that universities instead should only offer postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate certificate courses only.
The new proposal from the lawmaker goes in line with the recommendations contained in the report submitted the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) on education last year, 2023.
The above task force which gave the above recommendation was appointed by President William Ruto.
The task force was mandated to address the challenges that had for long years had a setback in the country’s education sector.
Members of the PWPER said that universities will be banned from offering certificates and diplomas,. saying that all that the institutions needed to focus on degree programmes for optimum quality.
In his proposal ,the member of Parliament noted that universities are intended to be institutions of higher learning as well as academic research centres .
He added that they should purely be us d as centres of interpreting the scope as meaning that they should only offer degree and postgraduate programmes.
Mount Kenya university SChool of Business and Economics studies studentGraduates Celebrates during Mount Kenya university 15th graduation ceremony held at mku pavilion ;Image/Courtesy
The move to limit certificate and diploma courses to technical and vocational colleges is meant to increase enrolment in these institutions.
Previously, there has been a trend where the technical and vocational colleges usually record low enrolment numbers despite the government investing heavily in these institutions.
Incase the new proposal to have diploma and certificate courses abolished, all the students currently undertaking diploma and certificate courses in universities may be allowed to complete as the doors will only be closed on new enrolments.
The announcement comes at a time when kuccps portal is now open for students to make applications for placement to various institutions of higher learning.
