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Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has threatened to shut down Kenyan universities offering what he has described as 'funny' courses.
Speaking during the official release of the 2019/2020 universities and colleges student placement results, CS Magoha says 100 university courses did not enroll any candidate.
Magoha has directed for a review of courses offered in the universities to do away with such programs and make sure all courses are market-oriented.
“I might be forced to shut some public universities this year and send some lecturers home. We cannot continue having irrelevant courses in our institutions that no single student has chosen for years,” Magoha says.
Earlier this year, some 26 universities in Kenya were found to be offering 133 unapproved degree programs to more than 10,000 students.
This was revealed in a report by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
Tom Mboya University College had the highest number of unapproved courses (25) followed by Garissa University and Alupe University, with 10 each.
Great Lakes University of Kisumu and Kenya Highlands Evangelical University had eight non-compliant programs each while Lukenya and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology had six each.
Kenyatta University and Karatina University had four each, while Moi University had three unapproved courses.
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And those who have already graduated from the same courses? Kenya is full of jokes for sure .
CS Magoha, are these courses low enrollment courses, unapproved or both? Who is the oversight body CUE? I see them recruiting internships frequently, do they have permanent qualified staff? Maybe start with CUE and move outward. On a different note your language matters Prof., calling these courses "funny" is jocular and does not send the seriousness such matter deserves. We have seen what that kind of language has done inside jubilee circles and I guess it could be worse for a technocrat to come across as a comical. What is a funny course?what is funny about it? Only fraud and unethical.
Some of the universities were created by executive order is he going to defy the man who hired him? The other thing about this "market oriented" courses creates a misunderstanding about education. The idea that people go to school to get jobs is what makes Africa in general and Kenya specifically to lag behind. The whole TVET movement is about imparting skills that equip students to be able to work for themselves. That is what Universities should focus on as well. As it is for example we have forestry majors going to work in banks meanwhile globally there is serious funding for people in climate change. But media is still enforcing the idea that you go to uni you get a job... Such a limiting reason to go to school.
Magoha you should just close them because most of the courses offered do not guarantee jobs. Besides, Kenya needs more hands on jobs like plumbers, painters, electricians who know what they are doing! You see perfect buildings in Kenya from outside but inside is a horrible mess from ill fitting windows to leaking taps and shoddy painting. Every career needs training to excel including agriculture.