Kenya
Government Task Force Recommends New Education Structure
A task force asked to realign Kenya’s education system with the (new) Constitution has proposed sweeping changes to the 8-4-4 system of education.
The changes include the introduction of a 6-6-3 system of education: six years of primary schooling, six years at the secondary level and three years for the first degree at the tertiary level. The task force, chaired by former Vice Chancellor of Moi University [1], Prof. Douglas Odhiambo, has also recommended that pupils sit for examinations at the end of standard three. National examinations in upper primary (standard 6), junior high (8) and senior high (12) would help students identify directions in terms of specialization.
– Nairobi Star [2]
June 28, 2011
Colleges to Upgrade to Universities
A government plan, known as Vision 2030, has called for the upgrade of a number of tertiary colleges to universities. The colleges of Narok [3], Kisii [4] and Dedan Kimathi are reportedly the first that will be upgraded to fully-fledged universities by the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), the sector oversight body.
The CHE has also earmarked five other mid-level colleges to be elevated to university-college status, bringing the number of such institutions to 20. They include Kibabii Diploma Teachers College [5], Kirinyaga Institute of Technology, Garissa Teachers Training College, Taita Taveta and Machakos Teachers Training College.
Vision 2030 is a blueprint designed to strengthen the Kenyan labor pool and economy. The upgrade of colleges is seen by many as a crucial step toward better training of mid-level human resources.
Currently there are seven public universities in the country — Nairobi [6], Kenyatta [7], Moi [8], Egerton [8], Maseno [9], Masinde Muliro [10] and Jomo Kenyatta [11]. But with the elevation of Narok, Kisii and Dedan Kimathi colleges, the number is set to increase to ten. There are 47 government tertiary colleges (including the 19 teachers training colleges) with 20 recently having been taken over by universities.
In addition to public institutions of higher education, there are also 14 chartered private universities and 10 with Letters of Interim Authority and two universities with certificates of registration. This means there are a total 48 universities authorized to operate in Kenya. However, the institutions still cannot come close to meeting demand from qualified students. The Joint Admissions Board (JAB), that admits students to public universities, only admitted 32,611 students out of the 97,000 who qualified this year. This is among the factors that have prompted plans to expand and upgrade existing educational institutions such as the mid-level colleges
– The Nation [12]
June 20, 2011
Double Intake Plan Meets Opposition from Lecturers
Plans by public universities to conduct a double intake this year are likely to suffer a blow after lecturers vowed to block the move.
University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) officials have vowed to prevent the move aimed at helping clear the backlog in admissions and in ensuring that students do not have to wait for two years to enroll at university after their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams. The more than 4,800 lecturers under the union are threatening to strike, saying they were not consulted before the decision was made.
The Joint Admissions Board announced recently that public universities would admit 32,611 students in 2011. The figure is 8,000 more than in 2010.
– The Nation [13]
June 19, 2011
Libya
Students Receive Funding to Continue Studies in United States
The U.S. Department of State announced in June that a transfer of funding to the Canadian Bureau for International Education [14] (CBIE) by the Libyan General People’s Committee for Education and Scientific Research has been arranged, allowing Libyan students on scholarships in the United States to continue their studies until the end of May 2012.
Because of United Nations, European Union and U.S. sanctions on the Libyan government, this transfer required special authorizations from the United Nations and the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. This funding will cover tuition fees for the benefit of more than 1,900 Libyan scholars studying at educational institutions across the United States.
In an additional provision, Libyan students in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program are allowed to pursue full- or part-time and on- or off-campus employment. Temporary suspension of these conditions allows for a reduction in course load that may be necessary for some students due to this employment.
– State Department [15]
June 23, 2011
Uganda
Private Malaysian University to Establish a Uganda Campus
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology [16] has announced plans to set up a new campus in Uganda. The Malaysia-based University already has three African campuses – in Botswana [17], Lesotho [18] and Swaziland [19] – with some 12,000 students. It also hosts another campus in London [20].
– Business Times
June 19, 2011