The philosophy behind the introduction of the parallel degree courses was to beat the ceiling imposed on admission into our public universities by the 'limited' number of university places available. In addition (or is it a consequence), the system has been turned into a cash-cow by the universities to raise the much-needed cash reserves in the face of decreasing governmental support for our institutions of higher learning. But it introduced another aspect to our education system which is potentially discriminatory and 'abuseable'. For, whereas a B+ does not guarantee a student entry into a professional science course like medicine and /or pharmacy, with money one can 'buy' a parallel degree which is respectable and acceptable in the market place much like the 'regular' degree. The poor who cannot afford the exorbitant fees paid for this parallel degree are disenfranchised. This is simply unacceptable in a country that prides itself in the development of human resource. Consider that school performance is pegged, one way or another, to the school to which one is admitted. The chances of one getting an A at Starehe are a world of difference from the odds that one has to beat to get closer at Cheptiret or Chekunyuk secondary schools.
I hold the opinion that the parallel degree programmes be scrapped, the High Education Loans Board (HELB) be funded more adequately and education money be made available for ALL Kenyan students who meet the minimum requirements for admission to university irrespective of their family or social standing. This way, the country will not condemn the poor to the vicious cycle poverty and all of us can enjoy the fruits of education. Certainly, the mechanism of recovery of those HELB monies held by former students is still poor and this needs streamlining.
Question is, beyond the colourful rhetoric and lip-service which is paid to poverty eradication and fight against illiteracy, which presidential campaign is thinking of education beyond the tired and recycled ideas that bring nothing new to our country. Which campaign is ready to fund our research institutions beyond the 0.0025% of the GDP that the Moi and Kibaki governments have been giving, which money simply goes into payment of salaries of the severely demoralised, underpaid and underutilised human resources that populate our universities. China for example allocates upwards of 10% of its massive GDP for research and development, no wonder the strides it is making with her economic growth threatening a double-digit growth. No economy can develop without research! I don't know how much the established economies in Europe, USA/Canada and Japan and the emerging tigers (Brazil, India and Korea as well as next door in South Africa) plough back into R & D but it certainly is not anything close to 1000-fold Kenya's pittance. That is why they are growing.
I hold the opinion that the parallel degree programmes be scrapped, the High Education Loans Board (HELB) be funded more adequately and education money be made available for ALL Kenyan students who meet the minimum requirements for admission to university irrespective of their family or social standing. This way, the country will not condemn the poor to the vicious cycle poverty and all of us can enjoy the fruits of education. Certainly, the mechanism of recovery of those HELB monies held by former students is still poor and this needs streamlining.
Question is, beyond the colourful rhetoric and lip-service which is paid to poverty eradication and fight against illiteracy, which presidential campaign is thinking of education beyond the tired and recycled ideas that bring nothing new to our country. Which campaign is ready to fund our research institutions beyond the 0.0025% of the GDP that the Moi and Kibaki governments have been giving, which money simply goes into payment of salaries of the severely demoralised, underpaid and underutilised human resources that populate our universities. China for example allocates upwards of 10% of its massive GDP for research and development, no wonder the strides it is making with her economic growth threatening a double-digit growth. No economy can develop without research! I don't know how much the established economies in Europe, USA/Canada and Japan and the emerging tigers (Brazil, India and Korea as well as next door in South Africa) plough back into R & D but it certainly is not anything close to 1000-fold Kenya's pittance. That is why they are growing.
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