Vice chancellors are calling for a review of the higher education system to have parents involved more in managing students.
Speaking on October 6, the chair of the Vice Chancellors’ committee and South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) VC, Prof Geoffrey Muluvi, noted that students were struggling to adapt to excess freedom in universities.
Muluvi argued that the students needed guidance from parents to ensure their over four-year stay in school is successful.
Involving parents in the progress of students, he added, was in line with the review of the education system being done by the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) taskforce.
“Universities assume these youngsters are adults who can manage themselves while in fact many are struggling to make the necessary social adjustments,” he stated.
Further, the VCs called on the change of curriculum offered to students undertaking diplomas and degrees in Education to equip them in teaching CBC in junior secondary schools.
Muluvi opined that the universities were channelling out teachers who were struggling to handle CBC.
"Our graduates who are getting out of campus should be CBC compliant so that when they go to teach in the secondary schools, they are not lost," he stated.
Other proposed changes included increased funding by stakeholders that could see parents and students paying more for fees.
"We need to see how we can finance university education so that the stakeholders can contribute more so that we provide quality education," he stated.
The proposals by the VCs came days after President William Ruto appointed a 42-member committee tasked with reviewing the education system primarily CBC.
University of Nairobi (UoN) professor, Raphale Munavu, was appointed to lead the task force.
