Universities offering obsolete courses, Cofek survey

A new survey by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) shows that many degree courses being offered by the universities in the country are irrelevant.

Most of them, according to the survey, are being offered in public universities. “More than 300 courses approved by the Commission on University Education (CUE) either attract nil or few students – yet they have all never used or underutilized lecturers,” the survey found.

It adds that at least 4 in every 10, translating to 40 per cent of students in universities are affected by such courses that were put in place long time ago or their job market has since been saturated.

Cofek conducted the survey in conjunction with the Elimika Mashinani Trust. This was a phone interview survey conducted between June 2 and June 15 and the findings released on July 3rd.  The study involved 250 graduate respondents spread across 25 counties.

It further revealed that 8 out of 10 students who take such courses did not receive any form of career advice either from school or their parents. The priority for such students is about securing any form of ‘available degree’ certification.

"Such courses are costing both the government and parents a collective fortune yet they do not attract interest from the market. They equally offer no skills for the graduates to opt for meaningful self-employment," the final report reads in part. 

60 per cent blame the Kenya Universities Placement Service for retaining on the admission menu courses that are ‘stale’, 30 per cent blamed the CUE while 10 per cent blamed students for falling for ‘any available’ degree course.

Some of the courses mentioned in the study are the Bachelor of Arts in Japanese, Bachelor of Arts (History); Bachelor of Arts (Kiswahili), Bachelor of Arts (Cultural Studies), Bachelor of Science in Earth Science and Bachelor of Science in Zoology.

Others are Bachelor of Arts in Church Music and Theology, Bachelor of Music Theory and Composition, Bachelor of Science in Forestry, Bachelor of Science in Sugar Technology, Bachelor of Science (Events and Convention Management), Bachelor of Range Management among others.

The survey showed that only 20 per cent of the public universities link their choice of courses to the market. On the other hand, private universities peg at least 70 percent of their course offering on employability ratio.

However, both public and private universities rank very low on actual link with the industry. While public universities scored less than 10 per cent, private universities only had less than 40 per cent.

A few days ago, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned university graduates that the government does not have employment opportunities for them.

Speaking on June 30th during a graduation ceremony at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Gachagua said the graduates will benefit from Housing Fund, which will create jobs.

"I am an honest man, I don't want to sit here and lie to you that we have jobs for you, these jobs we are going to create together with you," Gachagua said.

Gachagua encouraged them to have a positive mind in everything they do.

"Your parents were not employed by anybody, 70 per cent of them but through hard work, creative and innovative thinking they have seen you through to university, you are ten times better than your parents," he said.

In February, Egerton University announced plans discontinue eight degree programs, which the university management said have not been attracting students at the institution.

Courses affected were Industrial Technology, Technology in Civil Engineering, Soil, Environment and Land Use Management and Dairy Technology and Management.

Other affected courses were Wildlife Management and Enterprise; Integrated Forest Resource Management; Dairy Land Resources Management and Applied Aquatic Science.