By Benedict Ngetich
Kericho Township TTI Principal Mr Shadrack Tonui has called for a review of the rules governing progression of KCPE/ KCSE learners from Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) who join Technical and Vocational Colleges (TVCs) to pursue artisan courses.
The principal, together with Board Chair Dr Reuben Langat, presented the proposal in a report to the Presidential Working Party who visited the institution before holding other sessions at Kericho Teachers Training College.
“Currently the pathway allows KCPE/KCSE trainees go for National Vocational Certificate in Education and Training (NAVCET) programs at youth polytechnic centres for trade test grade 3-1. When they join TVCs, they meet trainees who haven’t gone through the programmes at artisan level hence there is need to give them a waiver in the units they have covered in the trade test levels,’’ the report read in part.
The report also asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) to clearly recognize Higher Diplomas as an equivalent of a degree.
“There is need for these qualifications to be recognised as one grade,” the report read, further stating that the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) has recognized the same for KMTC graduates.
The issue of irregular transfer of TVET principals was also addressed in the report.
“A principal can be transferred from an institution with a student population of 1,000 to start a new school. Some principals have been moved to more than three stations within two years, a move that has denied them an opportunity to witness for themselves the fruits of their labour in their previous stations,” the report read, further stating that deployments should be justifiable and be carried out with humane consideration.
The report further raised the issue of inconsistent disbursement of capitation.
“Every TVET trainee is supposed to benefit from Ksh. 30,000.00 government capitation annually yet institutions have been missing some quarters of the said funds. We have so far missed two quarters: 4th quarter 2022 and 3rd quarter 2021. In the few instances we have received capitation, it’s always proportional to half the enrolment of trainees. The situation is so bad that most students have huge fee arrears and some have totally dropped out of school,”
To remedy this persistent challenge, the ministry should broadly look for better ways of addressing this concern.
A review of how new colleges are funded and construction of more learning facilities in the institution was also addressed in the report.
