Kenya: CS Machogu Sets Up Team on Credit Transfer Review Policy

25 October 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — Education Cabinet Ezekiel Machogu has appointed a 16-member team to review Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer (KCAT) system policy in the Country.

The appointment by the Cabinet Secretary now sets the stage for the implementation of recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), which identified Credit Accumulation and Transfer Systems (CATS) in Kenya as an important aspect of education reforms that needs to be implemented.

Section 8(1) (l) of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) Act No. 22 of 2014 mandates KNQA to facilitate linkages, credit transfers and exemptions and a vertical and horizontal mobility at all levels of learning to enable entry, re-entry, and exit.

The Authority in consultation with stakeholders, had developed a Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer (KCAT) system policy as one of the tools to contribute to lifelong learning.

"Following a shift to a new National Economic Agenda - the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), recommendations from stakeholders and the emerging changes in Occupations there is need to revise and re-align the policy to make it responsive to the emerging changes," reads the appointment letter by Mr Machogu dated September 17, 2023.

The Adhoc Committee on Review the KCAT system policy is expected to review the Policy;, develop KCAT system Standards and Guidelines; and perform any other function that is incidental to the performance of the above stated functions.

The experts are drawn from; Kenya Nationals Qualification Authority(KNQA), Directorate of Quality Assurance, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA, University of Embu, University of Nairobi , National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), Egerton University, International Labour Organisation(ILO), Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Human Resource Management Professionals Examination Board (HRMPEB), Commission for University Education(CUE), Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (TVET CDACC) and Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

KNQA Acting Director General Dr Alice Kande welcomed the appointment noting that the team is now ready to start the exercise.

"This is a very critical process that we are determined to complete on time as it will go along way in promoting long life learning," said Dr Kande.

"There is a 49 per cent that is capped on what should be considered for progression to another level under KCATS," said Dr Kande adding that the agency will continue to work with other institutions to prepare them on how to implement the CATS system once approved.

The setting up of the adhoc committee is a major score to the Education sector , this is after Education Committee in the National Assembly last week called on the Ministry of Education to speed up implementation of the presidential working party on education reforms.

In a report presented to President William Ruto, the Prof Raphael Munavu team also want more awareness creation on Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Accumulation and Transfer Systems.

"We recommend the development of a framework for linkages among TVETs to remove duplications and create centres of excellence based on niche," reads the report that the President has directed its immediate implementation.

Already RPL policy has been reviewed and submitted to Education Ministry for consideration.

Credit accumulation involves aggregating the credits required to complete a qualification or part qualification, often within defined programmes, which can be institution-specific, across different institutions, or between various qualification levels. Equally, credit transfer entails the movement of specific credits vertically, diagonally, or horizontally towards a qualification or partial qualification at the same or a higher level.

This transfer is between related or similar programmes , qualifications and instructions.

"The growing demand for mobility, both in terms of intellectual pursuits and the labor force, underscores the pressing need to address the compatibility, comparability, and transferability of qualifications and competencies, both within national boundaries and across borders," said Dr Kande.

In alignment with ongoing initiatives for regional and continental education and training harmonization, supported by UNESCO's Addis Convention on the recognition of degrees and certificates (2014), the Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) system emerges as an indispensable tool for quantifying and validating qualifications.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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