Expensive education

The document also cites challenges facing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, with focus on low enrollment of females in science, engineering and technology courses as well as an unfriendly environment for learners with special needs and disabilities. Furthermore, admission to TVETs is uncoordinated, technical training is expensive and students lack awareness of vital programmes.“The result is that most trainees end up in cheap alternative programmes, whose graduates do not acquire the skills necessary for the world of work,” reads the document.The ministry proposes to establish a baseline on the status of TVETs and strengthen the centralised admissions service for students.For universities, the policy proposes to increase the number of female students taking science-based courses by at least 40 per cent. The document also observes that public and private universities attract more boys than girls.

Challenges such as skills mismatch, an imbalance between the number of students studying science and arts-based courses, and lack of policies on credit transfers among universities have been cited as impediments to quality education.The Government has proposed to establish the “Open University”, expand distance education learning in existing universities by leveraging on ICT, and progressively reduce scholarships for loans and bursaries.The document also criticises the high cost of university education, saying: “The average spending per student at the university level was 31 times, six times, and twice as expensive in relation to primary, secondary and TVET education, respectively.”

It proposes that the Government increases incentives to encourage the growth of private universities and also encourage public-private-partnerships in funding university education.The document further proposes to “empower public university councils to determine their own individual terms and conditions of service for their staff.”Teacher training is also scheduled for a shake-up, according to the document.It proposes to standardise the teacher-training curriculum, including teaching practice, and develop mechanisms for re-branding the teaching profession.In teacher management, challenges have been cited as disparities in teacher distribution and utilisation, non-alignment of the teacher curriculum to the competence-based curriculum, teacher absenteeism, poor performance in teaching subjects, and the quality of teacher educators.

Some of the suggested policies to solve these challenges include ensuring efficient and cost-effective utilisation of teachers by regularly reviewing and establishing appropriate staffing norms, as well as reviewing the current teacher-training programmes with a view to establishing diploma level as the minimum level qualification for teachers.The document also proposes a policy meant to “institutionalise the teacher performance appraisal system.”One of the strategies to be used is development of a national policy and guidelines for teacher education, development and management.The Government also proposes to harmonise all providers of adult education and alternative basic education and training.

Expensive education

The document also cites challenges facing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, with focus on low enrollment of females in science, engineering and technology courses as well as an unfriendly environment for learners with special needs and disabilities. Furthermore, admission to TVETs is uncoordinated, technical training is expensive and students lack awareness of vital programmes.“The result is that most trainees end up in cheap alternative programmes, whose graduates do not acquire the skills necessary for the world of work,” reads the document.The ministry proposes to establish a baseline on the status of TVETs and strengthen the centralised admissions service for students.For universities, the policy proposes to increase the number of female students taking science-based courses by at least 40 per cent. The document also observes that public and private universities attract more boys than girls.

Challenges such as skills mismatch, an imbalance between the number of students studying science and arts-based courses, and lack of policies on credit transfers among universities have been cited as impediments to quality education.The Government has proposed to establish the “Open University”, expand distance education learning in existing universities by leveraging on ICT, and progressively reduce scholarships for loans and bursaries.The document also criticises the high cost of university education, saying: “The average spending per student at the university level was 31 times, six times, and twice as expensive in relation to primary, secondary and TVET education, respectively.”

It proposes that the Government increases incentives to encourage the growth of private universities and also encourage public-private-partnerships in funding university education.The document further proposes to “empower public university councils to determine their own individual terms and conditions of service for their staff.”Teacher training is also scheduled for a shake-up, according to the document.It proposes to standardise the teacher-training curriculum, including teaching practice, and develop mechanisms for re-branding the teaching profession.In teacher management, challenges have been cited as disparities in teacher distribution and utilisation, non-alignment of the teacher curriculum to the competence-based curriculum, teacher absenteeism, poor performance in teaching subjects, and the quality of teacher educators.

Some of the suggested policies to solve these challenges include ensuring efficient and cost-effective utilisation of teachers by regularly reviewing and establishing appropriate staffing norms, as well as reviewing the current teacher-training programmes with a view to establishing diploma level as the minimum level qualification for teachers.The document also proposes a policy meant to “institutionalise the teacher performance appraisal system.”One of the strategies to be used is development of a national policy and guidelines for teacher education, development and management.The Government also proposes to harmonise all providers of adult education and alternative basic education and training.