Kenya’s higher education, science and technology sector is set for major institutional reforms aimed at promoting a knowledge-based economy to improve national prosperity and global competitiveness.
The country needs a culture of science, technology and innovation if it is to realise Vision 2030. This would involve interaction of institutions and processes to enable the generation and conversion of knowledge into goods, processes and services.
The government is in the process of transferring trainers at Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutes from the Teachers Service Commission to the public service. This new scheme is aimed at improving their performance and making the sector attractive.
The scheme is undergoing final review by the Public Service Commission. The trainers will have their own terms of service. Technical education training will not be assessed the same way as formal education. Teaching will lean more towards competence than theory.
Fees will be reviewed downwards to increase student enrolment in the more than 138 colleges, while the TVET Authority has been set up to manage the technical training institutions. The renewed focus on vocational and technical education is one strategy of addressing youth unemployment.
This goal of equipping Kenyan youths with relevant skills is being pursued through a two-pronged approach: The first is introducing skill acquisition content in the secondary school curriculum.
The second is renaming ‘village polytechnics’ to vocational training centres. The personnel working in such institutions must attain proper training at the Technical Training Centre in Nairobi.
The shortage of artisans, plumbers and technologists is due to failure by previous governments to prioritise the development of technical education. But with more emphasis on technical education, youths will get the right type of training that will empower them to become job creators and active players in the economy.
Currently youths only complain of lack of jobs, even though the majority lack the relevant skills to contribute to national development.
The proposal that students joining TVETs have the option of studying subjects related to their careers is aimed at ensuring that they exploit their talents and specialise in them.
Once this is fully effected, students wishing to join technical training institutes would have a curriculum that is flexible and learner-friendly. It would be tailored to offer functional subjects and will be simplified to meet learners’ needs.
The move basically aims at offering skills that are important for day-to-day life as opposed to expansive and complex content that puts learners off or may not add value to their lives.
This system has proved successful in developed and developing countries where students specialise in their careers of choice as early as possible. In some countries, students start their specialisation in secondary school.
There are separate secondary schools for students pursuing science-related courses and those pursuing arts. This means that by the time they join university or technical institutes, the students focus more on research and less on course work.
Therefore the renewed focus on vocational and technical education is one of the best strategies in making the sector more attractive to Kenyans besides meeting the needs of the youths in the job market.
Works for the Deputy President’s Press Service. The views expressed are his own.