The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education Julius Melly has termed the on-going benchmarking event in South Africa as an eye-opener and a step forward towards regional integration and realization of competitive and recognizable qualifications in Africa.
He was speaking during the IGAD Regional Learning Exchange Visit to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in Pretoria, where he said that through the benchmarking, the country will seek to attain lifelong learning and realization of SDG 4.
“We are confident that this exchange of knowledge and experience will expand our understanding of the development and operationalization of National and Regional Qualification Frameworks in a more effective and efficient manner,” he said.
Melly lauded the collaboration urging the Ministry of Education to align itself to global trends in qualifications systems.
“I urge all of us to freely share knowledge and experiences paying keen attention to strategic and technical issues that lead to quality qualifications that are acceptable globally including governance, policy, partnerships and linkages, and emerging issues in implementation of the Qualification Framework,” he added.
At the same time, Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Council Chairperson Stanley Kiptis revealed that the agency is determined to ensure that the qualifications of certificates are top notch.
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“As a government agency, we are continuously exploring improved ways to develop and implement national policies and programmes that are geared towards effective operationalization of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) and attainment of Quality and Inclusive Education and Training that meets international standards. It is against this background that I view this benchmarking visit as one of the pivotal windows of opportunity towards the attainment of regional cooperation and internationalization of Kenyan qualifications,” he said.
Further, Kiptis revealed that KNQA is currently in the early phase of implementing the KNQF, and has planned to focus on three core strategic goals in the next five years including governance and accountability, quality and relevance, access and equity as well as lifelong learning.
The event, which kicked off on September 3, 2024, will come to an end tomorrow.
By Vostine Ratemo
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