November 29, 2010
THE ISSUES THAT COMPARE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA
HERE LIES THE ISSUES THAT COMPARE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA.
DOMINIC .K.MAICHUHIE.
O8-2000
I still vividly remember in my mind until today a visit I made four years ago to a public university here in Nairobi to see my cousin who was then pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture. During my entire visit which took me a week, I slept in their hostels, went to their mess for breakfast, lunch and dinner, served internet in their computer labs and worst of all accompanied my cousin to class during one of his lectures after his persistent persuasion despite the fact that I was not a student in that particular institution which actually shocked me. Yes, this is the actual situation is our public universities. Outsiders and strangers in many instances continue to enjoy all the privileges just as the actual students. There is simply no order and strict rules and regulations to govern these institutions are just unheard of which is quite opposite when it comes to the private universities where they are very strict on the movement of the visitors, strangers and students at that. There is usually very thorough vetting of whoever enters and leaves the premises of these private institutions. Students have to always flash their student identity cards to the security guards and their bags thoroughly searched as they leave while visitors have to always produce their national identity cards and state the reasons for their intended visit after which they are normally given the visitor’s budge. For those with vehicles they are also extensively searched. No stranger can easily access the facilities of these private institutions which is normally done for security and theft precautions unlike the public universities where every Dick and Harry can access the premises of these institutions without any much difficulty.
mary gathoni during the interview
The quality of education has also been matter of major concern issue due to the disparity in the level of training between public and private universities. While the public institutions boost of having many highly qualified teaching staff in numerous fields, wonderful facilities like laboratories, libraries among many others, their high population and lack of enough lectures in all fields as well as poor lecturers remuneration packages by the government resulting to perennial pay increase strikes have been their major un doing which has raised eyebrows about the quality of qualification that graduates from some public universities produces. A report that came to be as a result of a research carried out by a group of scholars towards the start of this decade actually indicted one particular public university of producing graduates who were considered as half baked. This scenario is quite different when it comes to the private universities who do not normally have to grapple with very high student population due to their high school fees which only a few are able to afford. Meet Mary Gathoni a third year communication student at Daystar university Nairobi campus who says that the university policy is usually very clear when it come to the maximum number of students that a class should have. “Some classes like the public speaking usually do not exceed twenty students due to the emphasis on the quality outcome of the training” she says. There is also the emphasis on group works which helps in improving interpersonal communication among students and lectures where by there is normally one on one contact of the students and lectures sine the number is usually limited she concludes . She says one can visit http://www.daystar.ac.ke/ to learn more on the university with a difference. The government is however moving with speed in a bid to decongest state universities by funding needy students to go and study in private universities through the higher education loans boards. This is aimed at reducing overcrowding and cases of lecturers using microphones during teaching due to large class sizes are becoming a thing of the past thus enhancing increased quality education. More about the boards activities can be available at http://www.helb.co.ke/
Discipline has also been a key element that has greatly distinguished between public and private universities in Kenya. Cases of drug abuse like alcohol and cigarette smoking have been rampant in public universities. Scenes of students staggering, yelling while smoke oozing out of their mouths as they head to their rooms in the wee hours of the night have become the order of the day in these state universities. Strikes where properties worth millions of shilling are usually destroyed are a perennial phenomenon associated with students from public universities. The students have become masters of stone throwing as they battle out with the police. Student demonstrations waving placards and chanting slogans to the law enforcers has become quite too familiar. Police student battles while students hulling stones at security officer and the police shooting teargas canisters at them in retaliation are also quite too familiar on our streets and media as well. The word dialogue to amicably resolve disputes is a vocabulary that only exists in dictionaries. There is simply nothing like respect and adhering to the school’s rule of law. These just to mention but a few are some of the disciplinary issues that are always associated with public universities whenever the word discipline in universities is mentioned. The private universities are normally more disciplined compared to their counterparts. This has been attributed to strict rules and regulations that have been laid down which have to always be followed to the latter. This includes prohibition of drugs like alcohol, cigarettes etc, and prohibition of strikes of any form and to always to result to dialogue whenever there is always a misunderstanding of any kind. It is very rare that private university students are seen in running battles with the police. To them dialogue and diplomacy is the key to every conflict resolution while respect to the schools rule of law is always the wise thing to do. This may be attributed to the fact that many of these institutions are founded on Christian values which are always their driving force.
The issue of student leadership is another thing that is very different between the two kinds of learning institutions. Meet Maurine Malel who is a third year community development student at the University of Nairobi who says that life in the campus during the campaigns is always unbearable.”For example posters of the candidates are usually everywhere that is on trees, classrooms, cars, walls and even on our doors”. In addition loud speakers are always every where on campus even at night as the candidates and their supporters crisscross the entire campus their campaign trail from one hostel and lecture room to the other to appeal for votes in order to capture the coveted seat. The elections are always marred with violence, Claims of rigging, ethnic inclinations and political interference by the national political leaders. The student leaders are usually viewed as celebrities. However, despite all this the campaign period is usually very exciting and full of fun which is the opposite in the private universities where elections are usually dull without much hullaballoo and at many times pass unnoticed. They are usually peaceful and transparent. The student leaders are not normally viewed as celebrities as is the case in public universities.
On the issue of the variety of courses to choose from the public universities boost of a variety of many courses majority of which are very technical, crucial, expensive to offer and very important at that examples being medicine, Engineering and architecture among others. Malel says the school has so many courses on offer which is much higher that what the private universities offer. “This is due to the availability of many qualified staff from various disciplines.” One can go to www.uonbi.ac.ke to entirely get full information about the university including the courses it offers she concludes.
In view of all this and many more the body that have been mandated with the oversight responsibilities of overseeing the operations of institutions of higher learning called the commission for higher learning says the commission is formulating policies that will ensure that the discrepancies between the public and private universities concerning issues discussed above and many more are considerably reduced. The information that will entail the details of the policies that they will soon come up with to put the institutions from both sides at par will be available in our new website www.che.or.ke says one official.
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