CUE ponders drastic proposals to transform higher education

University education is likely to go through radical transformation if the government adopts new proposals to revitalise the sector.

The Commission for University Education (CUE) has proposed the merger of several universities or closure of some since many have become unsustainable.

The commission also wants public universities to be allowed to raise fees to reflect the market realities, arguing that the current rate of Sh120,000 per student is unrealistic.

In one of the far-reaching proposals, the commission wants the creation of a regional university system by merging universities within the same geographical locations and converting most of the existing universities into constituent colleges or campuses.

“This would be similar to the practice in the UK with University of London System, the US with California University System and in Rwanda where all universities were merged and placed under an umbrella University of Rwanda system,” the proposal that was presented to Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed this week reads.

RELEVANCE
Currently, the country has 31 public universities and six constituent colleges, 18 private universities, five private constituent colleges and 14 private institutions operating with letters of interim authority.

The report titled “Policy Advisory on Rationalisation of Universities and Programmes in Kenya”, says the creation of the campuses from existing universities should be based on national development needs, existing infrastructure and resources, and regional balance.

“For example, in Mombasa, there could be a focus on marine ecology and oceanography and in Turkana a focus on arid lands and oil studies, but all as colleges of one national university. The rest of the public universities that do not fit this model will be closed,” the report says.

CUE is also proposing a review of university tuition fees and charges to align them with the cost of training for each programme in support of the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) managed by the University Funding Board.

FEES
If approved, it will be the first major increase of fees since the end of free university education in 1991 and the introduction of the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) in 1995.

Last year, then Education Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i announced government’s plan to rollout the unit-cost fees, but it has not been implemented largely because of fear of backlash from students, parents and even universities.

CUE, in its report, wants provision of more support for scholarships and research in the universities and support for the training of academic staff to attain higher degrees in their fields as well as introduction of an apprenticeship programme that invites and trains promising graduates to grow a steady supply of teaching staff.

It proposes: “Reduction in the ratio of teaching to non-teaching staff in universities to 70:30 and improve terms of service for academic staff to reduce the need to teach in multiple institutions to make ends meet.

"This exercise is to commence after a national audit of all support staff in universities. Some of the services currently offered by non-academic staff should be outsourced.”

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

CUE is also recommending development of capacity building training programmes for universities in governance, quality assurance and research.

“Such capacity should include leadership training for current leadership and management teams and an expectation that those who apply for such positions have undertaken such training.

“For sustainability, such training should be anchored in an existing institution. Establishment of centres of excellence should be encouraged and duplication of academic programmes in universities discouraged,” the report adds.

The prevailing low number of students eligible for university entry and the decision by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service to place students in programmes and institutions of their choice should be used to determine programmes that are not economically viable.

“Rationalisation of the universities and university academic programmes through reduced number of universities, leaving fewer universities with clear focus on specific academic fields, will ensure prudent use of resources, quality, relevance and sustainability of university education in Kenya.

"The proposed recommendations in this advisory will provide a framework for achievement of objectives of university education and the national development agenda.”

CHALLENGES
It states that with 31 public universities and six constituent colleges, Kenya with a total population of 48.4 million, has more universities than South Africa, which has only 26 public universities for a population of 55.91 million and a far bigger economy.

Ghana, an equally vibrant economy and with a longer history of higher education, has only nine public universities for a population of 28.21.

In other continents, the United Kingdom has 130 universities (total population, 64.61 million), Australia (which is actually a continent) has a total of 43 universities.

Some of the shortcomings the report has identified include: inadequate physical facilities to accommodate the large numbers of students as well as to offer the ideal learning environment and inadequate academic staff to teach, mentor, and supervise the students.

LECTURERS
Others are inadequate academic staff with PhD qualifications in their fields of specialisation, inadequate funding or revenue to offer quality services - which has led to universities mounting many programmes that are inexpensive to mount, especially those in the Humanities and Social sciences, at the expense of programmes that would align with national goals for development such as engineering, manufacturing, health sciences, and architecture.

“Many public universities have disproportionate numbers of teaching and support staff; this results in high expenditure on non-core costs as reported during the recent university audits by the Commission,” the report reveals.

CUE also calls for the amendment of the Universities Act 2012 to change the provision compelling the government to create a university in every county, arguing it is unrealistic.