Agency decries low placement requests
Irene Githinji @gitshee
The university placement agency has urged the Education ministry to issue policy guideline to all secondary schools for submitting varsity applications on behalf of students.
Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) chief executive John Muraguri yesterday said only 2,228 of 10,289 registered schools submitted their candidates’ course choices last year, which translates to a meagre 21.65 per cent.
“The placement board is concerned about this low participation of schools at this important step of the placement process,” said he said, when he outlined university placement results at the KICD.
To address this concern, Muraguri said, KUPCCPS board has recommended that the ministry considers issuing a policy guideline to all schools, especially those with candidates eligible for placement to TVET institutions.
“Many secondary schools or KCSE examination centres fail to submit applications for courses on behalf of their candidates, yet this is a critical first step towards the envisaged 100 percent transition from secondary to higher education. A policy intervention is necessary to address this,” Muraguri stated.
He also said low uptake of TVET courses persists, despite infrastructural expansion and other investment in the institutions.
Muraguri said applicants unable to get the courses of their choice in the institutions they preferred were placed in similar courses in alternative institutions and in programmes that did not attract at least a reasonable percentage of students.
He said all candidates were given an opportunity to make changes to their choices. Eligible candidates from previous years were also enabled to apply for TVET programmes.
