Higher diploma programmes will be abolished according to a proposal by the Kenya National Qualification Framework Authority.

The authority’s chairman, Bonventure Kere, said the decision to phase out higher diplomas was informed by the long duration students take in institutions of higher learning.

“A diploma takes three years then higher diploma two years. That means that someone is in school for five years and when he joins university for a degree programme, he or she starts in third year or second year, that is unfair to a student,” Mr Kere said during a stakeholders workshop to sensitise universities and technical and vocational education training institutions on new qualification framework policy.

On credit transfers according to the regulations, there will be none for certificate courses.

“The person intending to transfer credits shall have earned the credits not more than four years from the date of the application for transfer,” the regulations read.

CREDIT TRANSFER

They go on: “The minimum and maximum number of credits to be transferred in a diploma qualification shall be the equivalent of six months of a course. The maximum number of credits to be transferred in a degree qualification shall be the equivalent of two years of the qualifications.”

When a credit transfer is likely to give an advantage to a student in grade and score at the receiving institution, it will not be approved.