By Erick Nyayiera
A report by the Directorate of University Education has revealed that many institutions of higher education aren’t prepared to integrate Competency Based Education Training (CBET) in their curricular.
The report titled sustainable development, a function of competency based education: the case of higher education in Kenya, Dr Samuel M. Njehu and Eshphan W. Kingoru (from the Directorate of University Education) revealed that the institutions of higher learning in Kenya still lack the capacity to implement CBET in their training components.
The report findings attempted to justify the integration of CBET in university education and its ensuing implications on sustainable development in Kenya.
“Education for sustainable development is tremendously gaining currency as a core element of education systems and has gained considerable attention as an enabler of sustainable economic progress. To this end, developed nations as well as emerging economies are consistently adopting more sustainable intervention measures which are pillared on appropriate education with the potential to sustain their economic, social, educational and environmental levels among other levels of development,” read the excerpt of the report.
According to the report, CBET comes as a pathway for creation of an education platform which will impart graduates with skills and competencies that will make them active, creative co-operative and capable of combining theoretical knowledge with innovative and practical ideas.
“Nevertheless, the level of preparedness of institutions of higher learning in Kenya to effectively mainstream CBET in their curricular and thus remain relevant in meeting new research, innovation and technological challenges geared towards the attainment of a middle level economic status is to a large extent unexplored,” the report noted.
The report further revealed that low understanding of CBET concept, inadequate support facilities and resources, large number of students in training classes, lack of motivation from trainers, low cooperation and poor attitude from students are some of the challenges causing CBET integration in institutions.
“A notable hiccup in implementing CBET in higher education is the standardization of the mechanisms in which competencies or skills are assessed. CBET largely is centered on a personalized learning approach which focuses principally on subject mastery notwithstanding the place, time, and pathway to completion.” The report summarized.
