CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Isaac Nyangeri, Kenya, April 1999
THEME = EDUCATION
What is behind the unrest in Kenya's Institutes of Higher
Education?
The author takes a look at what's been happening
On 23 March 1998, University of Nairobi students, armed with crude weapons - sticks, stones and fire - took to the streets of Nairobi in protest at the introduction of part-time, privately- sponsored courses in the College of Health Sciences, arguing that the main-stream medical studies are being down-graded. According to advertisements in the local press the previous day, the bachelor degree courses offered were in medicine, surgery, nursing, pharmacy and dental surgery. The courses were to begin in July 1998.
The rioting students argued that the qualifications required were too low. The minimum entry requirements was a C+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) - the current fourth form national examinations which mark the end of secondary studies. Alternatively, an applicant has to have two principal passes in biology and chemistry, and a subsidiary pass in either physics or mathematics in the former Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education, and had to have credit passes in either English or Kiswahili at "O" level. Still another category of those qualified to apply, were holders of a diploma in medical/pharmaceutical/laboratory and dental sciences; those with a diploma in Education (biology and chemistry), nursing and Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Education in medical, biological or physical sciences; holders of a bachelor degree in veterinary sciences, Master of Science or PhD in various medicine-related courses.
Probably because they are holders of the KCSE, the students focused only on the minimum requirement of C+, hence their conclusion that university education was "up for sale". For regular students, the minimum cut-off point for medical studies is A. This is admittedly very high and as a consequence, many students are compelled to make do with other studies. The actual minimum requirement for university studies is C+, but the cut-off system was introduced because the country's public universities could not cope with the high number of candidates qualifying for various courses. A good number of candidates, therefore, fail to receive university education, not so much because they are not "university material", but due to the fact that the existing universities cannot absorb them all.
In this light, such opening up of university courses ought to have been a welcome move, as it would allow more Kenyans to have access to a university education, which would, in the long run, be advantageous to the country's well-being. By way of reply, one of the rioting students said that "the university is an intellectual and not a commercial institution". This is a fact that has to be taken into serious consideration when implementing privately-sponsored degree studies.
Thus, it would seem that allowing more Kenyans to pursue further studies is a good way for the institutions to generate income. But there is danger in this conjecture. True, if there is more money available, services provided by the universities will improve. But, the first priority must be given to providing the very best in the academic field. Admissions should always be on academic merit rather than just the availability of a suitcase-full of money.
Studying abroad is not uncommon nowadays. Those who can afford this privilege, however, are usually the rich rather than those well- qualified. In 1997 a crisis arose when students in the Faculty of Law complained that their counterparts who had studied in India with low KCSE grades joined the Legal profession through short- cuts. The issue was resolved only when it was made compulsory that students joining The Kenya School of Law - which enables one to operate in the Legal profession in the country - must have met the local university entry requirements irrespective of where they had taken their degrees in Law.
In the planned privately-sponsored degree courses in the College of Health Sciences and other faculties, rigorous steps need to be taken prior to admitting students, in order to curb "back- door" entry into the universities. On the other hand, if the college administrators had explained beforehand the reasons behind these courses, perhaps the students could have made some contribution, also, to the proposed programme.
Still, throwing stones, destroying property and injuring people, won't get you very far!
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement