Motive of colleges is purely profit

In this era of the liberalisation of higher education, various disciplines have been diluted by colleges and universities.

Many institutions have begun offering courses as a response to increased demand for training for the so-called popular disciplines including medicine, engineering and hospitality.

While there may be justification for expanding training opportunities for thousands of deserving Kenyan youth, the motive is purely profit. A majority of the emerging institutions lack the requisite teaching staff. The schools rely on poorly trained staff to teach the students.

The curriculum being offered is either too shallow or irrelevant. As a result, graduates from such institutions do not possess the necessary skills and competencies to perform in the market.

The component of physical infrastructure is being overlooked by institutions of higher learning. For instance, courses like engineering, medicine and hospitality require proper application and practical areas.

This seems not to be the case in the current scenario. Schools that lack essential facilities are offering practically-oriented programmes. How feasible can that be?

With such chaotic scenes, many are wondering about the role of regulatory and quality assurance agencies.