Universities may stop offering certificates or diploma courses if a new Bill tabled by Embakasi Central Member of Parliament (MP) Benjamin Gathiru is passed.
The Universities (Amendment) Bill 2023 proposes the scrapping of diplomas and certificates in universities.
The Bill states that universities are intended to be institutions of higher learning and academic research, and thus should exclusively offer degree and postgraduate programmes, and leave certificate and diploma courses to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
MP Gathiru said that this will increase enrollment in the institutions which will guarantee returns of the heavy investments the government has accorded the institutions.
Currently, there are two bodies certifying certificate and diploma courses – the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) for TVET colleges and the Commission for University Education (CUE) for universities – whose functions, the MP said, lead to inconsistencies in the content and duration of courses.
The Bill further proposes to amend the functions of CUE to recognize and equate postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas conferred by foreign universities and institutions as opposed to basic certificates and diplomas.
Further, Chancellors of any university will only award postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diploma courses and not basic certificate and diploma courses.
The clause also provides for the saving of a student already undertaking a certificate or diploma course to enable such a student to complete his or her studies.
By Obegi Malack | obegimalack@gmail.com
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