Quality of Education: Bungoma education stakeholders faults double-intake plan in universities

Written by Daniel Saenyi Graduants at a past ceremony. Photo/ West Fm File. University students and lecturers from Bungoma have opposed the proposed increased admissions to public institutions of higher learning. Student from Masinde Muliro University in Bungoma districts want the proposal to be rejected and revoked and should only be implemented if the government builds more campuses. The double intake will lead to over population in the universities. “The universities are presently holding more than they can maintain and bringing in twice the number of students will compromise the quality of education because there will be insufficiency of resources in the institutions,” said one of the Student. The students want the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) be stopped from implementing the double intake proposal that will see 32,000 students admitted to public universities this year in an attempt to lessen the accumulation of students waiting to join public universities. The country has only seven public universities and which are very few compared to the number of students they plan to admit and the structure will not work, the universities will be weighed down by students. “A deal has to be made between the private and public universities to come up with a way of JAB admitting some students to the private universities,” Said George Majesu, a university student In the public universities, many students rely on Higher Education Loans Board for school fees and this will lead to some students missing out on the loans as they will be a lot. Some are already missing out with the organization allowing parallel students to get loans. Acting Minister for Higher Education Prof. Hellen Sambili. According to Mr. Waswa Oscar, an Administrator the system will only work on an incremental basis where the intakes are done with gradual increase in students every semester. The ministry of Higher Education should vigilant in implementing the intake in that it won’t compromise the service delivery in the institutions. They should first consider the issue of accommodation; they have to let the institutions to increase their accommodation capacities before the intake or risk students being left destitute. Students suggested that the ministry of higher education and JAB should convene with representatives with from different universities so that they come up with an appropriate way of implementing the double intake to avoid any major errors when the system is implemented.