- According to the World Bank, Higher Education systems need to be conducive to a culture and practice of lifelong learning.
- The global village we live in only demands that our institutions not only get international recognition, but also have the capacity to accommodate international students world over.
- This is a wakeup call to policy makers at all levels to make education admirable again and the profession as prestigious as it ought to be.
Education is the key to success, a cliché that’s ripe for debate and re-definition. Allegedly, Education used to be the key, but the lock has since been changed! Interesting as it may sound, the current turmoil in the Kenyan education sector is one that will not only dim the light that education is but also jeopardise the future of the nation and generations to come, if not attended to with the seriousness it deserves.
While political commitment and good will are critical for the success of any endeavour, politicisation of education is a disservice to the sector, outrightly so.
An educationist will relate closely to the challenges affecting the Education sector, and also foresee possible areas of improvements and areas of potential exploitation. A professional, in any sector, is by no doubt the best bet to lead the docket in their area of specialisation.
Informed decisions, cutting down costs on need for advisers among other benefits, not to mention the joy and likelihood of success in doing what one is trained to do.
Appreciating this will be a step in the right direction, for this is global best practice and Kenya needs to align accordingly to realise greater success in all the sectors.
According to the World Bank, Higher Education systems need to be conducive to a culture and practice of lifelong learning.
Further, it advocates for investments and policy reforms in the education systems of countries to lay foundations for future learning, and valuing of the facilitators is one of the pillars of focus for equitable and resilient education systems.
It is no doubt that a nation that invests in its education system will stand strong in no time, while others crumble.
Investment in the education system is inevitable. Additionally, the global village we live in only demands that our institutions not only get international recognition, but also have the capacity to accommodate international students world over.
Whereas efforts are being made on several fronts, how many institutions in the country can sincerely and proudly boast of this world class status? What tangible benefits other than advancing academic knowledge are institutions being supported to create in terms of Research and Development?
How will the academic giants stay relevant or make valuable contributions to the world without funding? This is the heart of economic impact, societal transformation and technological progress that must be harnessed by all means for global positioning.
The rains have indeed beaten the beacons of higher education in Kenya, yet there is hope. It is not enough to cry and sympathise, we must speak out, stand out and do something to regain the glory of higher education in this country.
Looking at it generally may seem a small problem that can be overlooked and “managed” here and there, but a deeper view of the problem at hand beckons.
What is education without educators? And how successful can higher learning be with demotivated staff? The educators are not just university staff, they are parents with families to feed, spouses with responsibilities to meet, community members with obligations and financially tied roles to play and the list is endless.
Where can the highly esteemed professionals in the sector save face, preaching success and breathing lack? What is a Silicon Savannah in a neglected education system? What is the pride of education, when the educators live by the street with negative bank balances and court orders on defaulted loans?
Seeing is believing, what will the future generations see in education to get motivated to pursue higher learning? What inspiration for the future can a young dreaming mind get from a frustrated, depressed and hungry (also angry) lecturer? Devastating!
Something must be done urgently for the rebirth of institutions of higher learning. This is a wakeup call to policy makers at all levels to make education admirable again and the profession as prestigious as it ought to be.
Give a listening ear to, and address the dire needs of educationists, for the wearer of the shoe knows where it pinches most. The whole nation needs to speak out for the good of the current and generations to come.
Every voice counts. Every learner has a right to quality and uninterrupted learning, every parent deserves value for money and every educator is entitled to reasonable and timely remuneration for services offered.
Appreciating that Rome was not built in a day, small efforts to transform the Higher Education System will go a long way. It is not enough to wish, we must act. Revive the once highly reputable institutions that are now on their knees, starting with Moi University.
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As the ancient book says, “There is hope for the tree; if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail”, so there is hope for Moi University, even as it comes crumbing down.
As long as Moi University is alive, there is hope; and this is all that matters. Yet, something significant must be done to get her back on track. A deliberate move to rescue the university will work, not wishes or promises-no matter how promising!
The time to act is NOW, or yesterday; but because yesterday is history, now is the only time to salvage the precious Foundation of Knowledge, other sinking institutions of Higher Learning and the Higher Education System at large.
Impossible is Nothing!
