Race against time as colleges prepare to admit CBC learners

It is a race against time as tertiary institutions prepare to welcome the first cohort of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) high school graduates in 2029.

However, many of these universities and colleges are yet to embrace emerging technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The current CBC learners in primary and secondary school are technically savvy. As they move to a higher level of education, their expectations will also be high.

The students will prefer institutions that will help them learn more efficiently, graduate on time and get into the job market better prepared for the future with the help of AI and other digital technology.

As universities and colleges struggle to remain relevant and prove their worth, the one-million-dollar question is whether they will respond and embrace this new paradigm.

There is fear that some be rendered obsolete by the new reality of automation and democratisation of knowledge.

A number of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions are laying the groundwork for new students in an effort to strengthen retention and speed up graduation. One such TVET is the Rift Valley Institute of Business Studies (RVIBS) in Nakuru.

The college recently launched the African Tech Space (ATS) to keep abreast with fast-evolving technology.

Identifying gaps  

“We started the tech space after identifying gaps in our education system. The next generation needs advanced Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses in electronics, robotics programming, the internet of things (IOT), drone programming, coding, website development, application development and AI technology,” RVIBS director John Kimemia Gitau told Higher Education.

He adds that with training in cyber security, individuals can start a business in the comfort of their homes as they do not need office space.

“All the person needs is about Sh20,000 for a laptop. He or she will then be able to start a cybersecurity business and earn a living,” Mr Kimemia said.

“The CBC students are ambitious and innovative. They hold great promise for higher education and we will help them choose the right college.”

The ATS is expected to place Kenya on the international technology map and merge global methods with local technology.

He says with a fast-changing secondary school curriculum, tertiary institutions must invest in innovation and find the right students to enrol and retain.

“Our innovation hub will have personalised teaching and learning to meet market demands using the latest technology like AI,” Mr Kimemia said.

The students will be trained in cyber security, web app development, graphic design, mobile app development and business process outsourcing, start-up incubation, project support among others.

There are also fine arts and painting sessions with an emphasis on 3D graphics and animation.

Eldoret National Polytechnic Chief Principal, Charles Koech, says the institution has shifted from the old curriculum that focused on knowledge to the new Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET).

The national polytechnic has also revamped its almost 80 programmes to conform with the CBET and support the development of skills.

“We have revamped our programmes so that a student spends 50 per cent of their time in the industry and 50 per cent in our institution,” explained Mr Koech.

He says the institution has trained more than 300 staff to support skill development in line with the new syllabus.

Artificial Intelligence

“We have put in place the necessary infrastructure and resources like workshops in readiness for the 2029 intake of the CBC high school graduates,” Mr Koech stated.

The chief principal says Eldoret National Polytechnic has introduced programmes that include Artificial Intelligence and cyber security.

“We have identified six programmes to be rolled out this month. These are electrical installation, medical engineering, dairy farm management, building technology, automotive engineering and science laboratory technology. We expect that the programmes will bridge the huge gap in the market,” the chief principal said.

RVIBS Principal, Percy Kihumba, says the institution has prepared its infrastructure and human capital for the next technical training needs, with a special focus on emerging technology.

“With the new dispensation in the education system in Kenya and the world, our focus will be disciplines that will lead to students achieving their dreams,” Ms Kihumba said.

“That is why this institution is concentrating on the STEM curriculum.”

STEM education is premised on an applied and interdisciplinary syllabus.

It allows students to draw correlations between what they learn in the classroom and how they can apply that thinking in the real world.

“What the students are being trained on will sharpen their skills on the latest technology. The intention is to give them the knowledge and skills that will shape their future,” she says.

RVIBS has recently changed its curriculum to CBET.

According to the State Department for TVET, the emphasis of CBET is on what learners can do and not necessarily what they know.

CBET gives trainees practical skills through innovation and the use of live projects.

Students usually work in a real-time environment to sharpen their skills.

“CBET is about skills. Tertiary institutions should go out there, reach out to the industries and sign agreements so that they get as many young people as possible trained on practical skills,” TVET Principal Secretary Esther Thaara Muoria said recently.

According to TVET specialists, the new curriculum requires enormous resources because the training is 80 per cent practical.

That means the institutions need to have proper equipment and tutors.

With just five years before the TVET institutions welcome CBC students, many are yet to embrace the change brought by the new education curriculum.

STEM subjects

Students majoring in STEM subjects at senior secondary school will join tertiary institutions and pursue courses related to the subjects.

Mr Kimemia says the African Tech Space at RVIBS is bridging that gap by producing a space in which students can hone their skills as far as technology and engineering are concerned.

The institute also has a tech space haven for children from the age five.

The youngsters can practise basic ICT skills and be given tips to prepare them for advanced technology changes as they progress to junior and senior secondary school and later to colleges like the RVIBS.

“Our innovation hub caters for children as we understand they have potential and abilities,” Mr Kimemia said.

“That is why we are ready and willing to nurture their talents as they progress through this exciting CBC journey. We want to lay a foundation and a strong mindset on the importance of STEM subjects.”

Mr George Muturi, the founder of MG Innovation Hub, says ATS adds to the 10 hubs in Nakuru City focusing on IOT, robotics, AI and STEM and many other important innovations.

He adds that the region has been left behind on matters of innovation, start-ups and tech for a long time.

Kenya is ranked among the Big Four in innovations, technology and start-ups in Africa. Last year Kenya was top among countries that could get investor funding in innovation, technology and start-up ecosystems.

“Through technology and innovations, the country’s economy made $800 million last year, translating to Sh124 billion. ATS is a step in the right direction as we shall produce human capital with innovation hubs to attract funders and investors to start investing in this ecosystem,” Mr Muturi said.

fmureithi@. nationmedia.com

Additional Reporting by Stanley Kimuge