This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
On December 3, 2019, the Business Daily Africa published an editorial titled 'Invest in non-tertiary training institutions.'
According to the editorial, the parallel degree programme, which was introduced to cater for students who could not get admission into public universities, has been closed due to loopholes in the examination system.
The programme allowed many unqualified students to achieve the minimum marks, leading to a drop in university student numbers for the first time in 21 years.
While the programme may have provided a lifeline for students who achieved the minimum university entry grade of C+, it also had a sinister side, contributing to inequality as only the rich could pay their way into the parallel system.
The programme encouraged students to cheat and bribe their way into university, which meant that only those from financially well-off backgrounds could access it.
Moreover, the programme was expensive, with some courses requiring as much as Sh500,000 annually, making it inaccessible to those from lower-income backgrounds.
However, the government can come in through higher allocations to universities using the national Budget.
There is an opportunity for those who could not get into the university system to join other colleges, including vocational training colleges.
Non-university tertiary institutions may have suffered due to the parallel degree system, which took a good number of students away from qualifications that were probably better suited to the needs of many employers.
The State should therefore strengthen these institutions, including getting them enough teachers and facilities.
Additionally, the training institutions should teach courses that are relevant to industry or employers, by linking better with industry to understand their needs.
