Religious institutions urged to embrace recognition of prior learning policy

Kenya National Qualifications Authority(KNQA) acting Director General Alice Kande has urged religious institutions not to be left behind in the roll-out of the recognition of prior learning policy(RPL).

Speaking in Thika, Kiambu County during a session with the Alliance of Theological Schools Accrediting and Licensing Commission (ATS), Kande said the policy set to be launched next month will be a game changer.

“ I urge you to seek accreditation as Qualifications Awarding Institutions(QAIs) to be able to assess learners under RPL,” Kande said.

She explained that RPL is the process of identifying, assessing and certifying an individual’s knowledge, skills and competencies against prescribed standards, or learning outcomes regardless of when, where and how they were acquired.

The policy was approved by the Cabinet in January paving the way for the recognition of skills, knowledge and competencies acquired through practical work but which are not supported by academic or institutional qualifications.

“The approval by Cabinet is the milestone in a process that commenced in 2020. By dint of the decision by Cabinet, there is now a functional and credible system for recognition of knowledge, skills, and competencies that have been acquired through practical work but which  are not supported by corresponding academic or institutional qualifications,"  the Cabinet dispatch in January reads.

The approval process, which started in 2020, now puts in place a functional and credible system for the recognition of skills in the informal sector.

The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) with the support of the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders have played a crucial role in the development of the policy.

Kande said the policy will open up a bountiful frontier of new opportunities for millions of Kenyans by facilitating a transition from informality to formality between the education system and the labour market.

During the forum, the acting Director General highlighted some of the challenges being addressed by the Authority in the qualifications area such as; a fragmented, uncoordinated and incoherent education and training system, lack of a National Qualifications accreditation system and lack of a nationally accepted Quality Assurance system and standard(s) for national qualifications.

Others are; the disconnect between Qualifications and actual skill needs in the workplace; poor documentation of qualifications awarded in the country; fraudulent and fake certificates and qualifications and mismatch between the demand and supply sides.