Kenya government has declared sponsorships for the students who did not qualify to join university this year and will be joining colleges. The move will see students with grades as low as D and E join tertiary institutions, government partly paying their fees and just like their university counterparts they will access loans to cater for the remaining fees.
Ministry of education has estimated this to cost about Sh20 billion. It is seeking to put an end to discrimination in transition to higher education.Those headed to Technical and Vocational Training institutions where the school fees currently stands at Sh56,420.
The government will provide Sh30,000 capitation for each TVET trainee.The learners in technical and vocational institutions will receive as much as Sh40,000 loans annually from HELB enough to pay all their fees and have some extra coins to cater for their upkeep. Its now an end to the state where higher education in Kenya had a tradition of only favoring good performers to move to university and leaving the future of millions of children in limbo.
It ha been the cause of high level of unemployment in the country since many youths lack skills. Education CS Amina Mohamed has urged the youths to take up the positions in TVET institutions so as to get skills. She said the decision of the Government to recognize skills achieved outside formal education and training in technical and training institutions has opened many avenues for anybody who fails to be admitted to university to continue learning to the highest qualification. ”We are reforming the sector to make it relevant as it is crucial for the Big Four agenda.”
With about 130 functional technical and vocational training institutions, education ministry data reveals that the institutions have an enrollment capacity of 300,000 students. If only last year’s KCSE candidates benefited it means transition rate to tertiary education will stand at 60 percent an all-time highest and double those who proceeded to tertiary institutions having in mind that 651,189 students who received KCSE exams qualified for placement in tertiary institutions this year.
Technical and Vocational Training institutes have been urged to take advantage of the Big Four Agenda to produce competent graduates who will drive realization of the Government’s agenda.