E-learning university should help ease pressure on tertiary enrolment

University education in Kenya is set to undergo major changes in the coming years, as amendments to the country’s regulatory framework and reforms such as devolution expand post-secondary offerings across the country. While funding and capacity constraints remain serious challenges, new digital platforms such as the country’s flagship Open University project could significantly improve access in the next few years.

Universities are accredited and regulated by the Commission for University Education (CUE), which was established under the Universities Act No 42 of 2012 as the successor to the Commission for Higher Education. Meanwhile the country’s ongoing devolution into 47 counties has charged the sector with establishing a public university in each county by 2018 – no easy task given the under-development of some counties.

Post-secondary education has grown fast over the last decade. According to the government’s second Medium-Term Plan (MTP) for 2013-17, the number of private universities doubled in less than 10 years, from 13 in 2003 to 26 in 2012, while the number of public universities and constituent colleges grew from six universities and one college to seven universities and 24 colleges. In June 2013 the CUE listed 22 public universities, nine constituent colleges, 17 private chartered universities and five university private colleges.

Enrolment Growth

Enrolment has shown equally impressive numbers, expanding from 100,649 in 2008/09, to 195,528 in 2012/13, a 94.2% growth in just five years. Private universities saw even higher growth rates, with student numbers rising from 22,198 in 2008/09 to 45,023 in 2012/13, an increase of 102.8%.

The transition rate from secondary to post-secondary education, however, remains low, due to a longstanding capacity shortage that has seen thousands of students fail to secure a spot in a public university each year despite passing the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Exam. “There are around 117,000 applicants to public universities a year, but public universities are only able to absorb 52,000 of these at present,” Joseph Kusyoki, deputy commission secretary for planning and resources at the CUE, told OBG. “One of our strategic goals is expanding access, but financing has been a major challenge. Government funding is never enough, and it has really affected the growth of the sector.” Such constraints have opened new doors for the further expansion of private universities.

The government is also investing heavily in expanding post-secondary capacity. In June 2013, it announced a 30% increase in funding for higher education for 2013/14, following the establishment of 15 new public universities. However, university administrators report that this is not enough to meet demand: although the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MoHEST) budget rose from KSh61bn ($695.4m) in 2012/13 to KSh80bn ($912m) in 2013/14, and university funding from KSh46bn ($524.4m) to KSh60bn ($684m), enrolment has risen so fast that more resources are needed. The State Department for Science and Technology (SDST) is set to receive KSh66.48bn ($757.87m) in the 2014/15 budget, of which KSh56.13bn ($639.88m) will go to universities, a moderate decrease on 2013/14.

Open University

In October 2010 Kenya announced plans for a multi-million-dollar e-learning institution, the National Open University of Kenya. This is expected to improve access to post-secondary education and ease the admissions bottlenecks that plague public universities by enabling students to pursue degrees online. Using a range of platforms, students will be able to follow lectures online, interact with their teachers, submit assignments and check on their grades – an approach adopted by several private and public universities locally. Lecturers, in turn, will be able to upload course materials and post assignments online. In January 2014 the government established a taskforce to examine the project’s feasibility by studying best practices at similar institutions, such as the African Virtual University and the National Open University of Nigeria. This bodes well for the growth of university education.