November 29, 2010
Public or Private University, what’s your take?
Public University or Private University whats your take?
The debate between public and private universities is not new and neither is it going to become an old topic of discussion. I decided to put my head in the debate and put a few points across, it is not lime my contribution will end the debate, but it will be food for thought to many and will shed light in this endless debate. Let us begin with looking at what these two institutions are.
A public university is an institution that is government owned and run, while a private institution is privately owned by an individual or a group of people. That is a basic definition, delving deeper, a public university is state owned, is governed by the rules set by the legislature and is governed and controlled based on government statues. A private university on the other hand is set up and run according to the rules of a board of governors who decide who the institution should be run. These people are the ones, who invest their money in supporting the institution and decide how the institution will be run.
Click to access kenya_2007.pdf
Public and private universities have their similarities and differences. Both of them offer higher education and award certificates, diplomas, degrees, masters and PhD’s on successful completion of the program. However both of them offer different courses based on arts and sciences. Public universities offer a wide variety of courses ranging from agriculture, engineering to music among many others while private universities do not have a wide variety of courses that they offer, they basically specialize in some courses. There are even more private universities than there are public universities in Kenya.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_and_colleges_in_Kenya
In this country public universities are highly rated as compared to private ones. They are always in the news and receive backing from all quarters. They are more publicized as compared to private universities and always seem favored
People might argue that fees paid in private universities is high as compared to public, but remember public universities are state owned, they receive financial backing from the government, while private universities have to rely on well wishers, donors, sponsors and thus have to charge high rates so that they can survive and meet the many expenses. They need finances to be able to compete with their rivals and be able to attract students to join their institutions. Public universities are also not cheap, some of the courses offered cost a fortune and it amounts to the same that is been paid in private institutions. Law, medicine and engineering are some of the courses that are highly charged and students intending to pursue them have to part with huge sums of money. After all this is higher education, it definitely cannot be free and obviously not cheap.
Public universities are highly overpopulated as compared to private ones and this leads in high competition in terms of resources and learning. If resources are few and limited, there will be a rush to try and access them, making it difficult for others to gain access to the resources. Private universities have a sizeable population, one that is manageable and who resources can be available for.
Some people prefer private universities because of the services they have which are of better quality compared to public universities. One of the reasons attributing to this has to do with the total number of students in the two kinds of universities. It is also one key attribute that popped up in the two interviews conducted. The students interviewed brought up the aspect of population in both kind of universities where they said public universities are densely populated as compared to public universities. “Public universities are very populated compared to private universities which are sparsely populated and I think public universities lecturers really do not have a one on one focus with the students like the private ones which lectures have no time with the students”, said a student in a public university.
In terms of the assets it is evident that the public universities are more established than their counterparts the private universities. This can be attributed to the fact that public universities are funded by the government. There is especially a difference when you compare the facilities and faculties that the universities have. You find that public universities are more equipped than the private universities. We therefore find that public universities are more upgraded in many more sectors compared to private universities.
This debate will not end anytime soon the choice is yours. Whether you like public or private universities is totally an individual’s choice. But I feel that we as a country should promote the state owned institutions because they were made for the ordinary mwananchi and they should take advantage of their resources. If you look at the face of public universities, they represent people from all over the country; they represent national unity and diversity. Private institutions, in my opinion are for the few elite who can afford them and don’t want the hustle and bustle of public life. They want to do things themselves and seclude themselves from others.
But one thing is for sure, whether public or private, at the end of the day, all are just trying to offer education and services to their customers. Whatever the course, amount, it is a matter of pursuing our various careers. We each have different talents and these institutions have realized that and are providing the avenues to harness these talents, so that they cam be used for the good for the benefit of the country.
Private or public, the choice is yours, just make sure you get good value for your money and achieve the goals you set when you joined your dream institution. After all the job market will not want to know if you came from a private or public university, it is the skills and knowledge that you acquired that will matter. So make sure you invest in your education.
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Absalom 07-1226
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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A Silent Volcano: The Sam Yob Story.
Sam 'Yob' Lukudu
Fondly known to his friends and family as Sam Yob, this 22 year-old 6’2 tall southerner had enrolled at a college in Khartoum and was pursuing a course in Police Science and Law immediately after completing his high school studies at Comboni brothers still in Khartoum. He, however, knew he was not cut out for a career in policing and while at his brother’s in Nairobi, the dream to work in Broadcast journalism kept nagging. It was then that he decided to pack his bags and leave the college in Khartoum. His parents, as expected were disappointed and to clear his head he decided to get away and ended up in Nairobi.
Sam Yob says his mother has been very supportive of him throughout the years and she readily welcomed his decision to study Broadcast Journalism at Daystar University. He officially enrolled in 2007 and looks forward to graduating in June 2011.
Early childhood
Sam Yob grew up in a family of two brothers and five sisters. His brother was away and this meant he was often times caught up in the bickering of his sisters. He learnt to be independent early in life, a quality he exudes even as I listen to him narrate his life story. Sam Yob comes across as quiet, defiant, even indifferent. The almost blank facial expression as he talks about his early childhood gives off the impression that he didn’t quite have the chance to experience being childish, mischievous and naughty. “I was a responsible kid, always did everything by the book and I rarely was in trouble, “he says. Typical of most children whose parents are often away at work for days, even weeks, Sam Yob knew how to take care of himself at an early age. “My mother is a politician and she would travel out of Sudan many times. She was always busy with work and so I had to depend on my self,” he says.
Career and interests
Sam 'Yob' Lukudu in the studio
When he is not working he dabbles in basketball, football, underground poetry and music. “I compose my own music. I have so far recorded three songs and shot a video for one,” he says excitedly. By now my curiosity is piqued by this seemingly withdrawn jack of all trades with an energy that bubbles under. I am curious how he juggles work, class and his numerous interests. “It gets really crazy at times and I feel like I will lose my mind! For now I do the music for fun, but I intend to take it seriously when am through with school come next year,” says the radio journalist.
Sam Lukudu at work
Family support system
Sam Yob’s value for family ties is evident as he talks about his family. Having grown up in a well-knit family setting he owes his sense of culture to his parents and extended family. He particularly cannot stop talking about his love for his mother and shows me a tattoo on his arm with the initials of his mother’s name, a soft and emotional contrast to his otherwise macho demeanor.
Sam Yob’s life has not always been rosy and he narrates an incident that changed his life completely. He and his cousin were very close and he considered him his best friend. He unfortunately died and Sam Yob only learnt about his death a day later. He had not seen him for some time and had traveled to Khartoum to visit. His cousin passed away on the May 14, 2009, the day Sam Yob arrived in Khartoum. He learnt of his death on the 15th from hi sister. He was buried on May 16, 2009 which coincidentally is Sam Yob’s birthday. “I was devastated. I now take time out every year on my birthday to visit his grave and thank God for life and everything,” says Sam Yob.
For a quiet and reserved guy, Sam Yob has many friends. His best friend James Abui, the current International Students Association of Daystar Students (ISADU) chairperson, says Sam Yob is honest and loyal and that, he says, is a quality that many people lack. “We have been friends for a long time and I really appreciate him as a brother,” says the equally tall ISADU chair.
Future Plans
Sam Yob hopes to travel back to Sudan after graduation. “My country needs me. I have to go back and apply the knowledge I have learnt so far towards building Sudan.” Sudan is currently getting ready for referendum; something Sam Yob says is long overdue. He says this change will help Sudan grow and restore back its lost glory. He reckons the youth have what it takes to steer the country forward and they only need to stand up and fight for what they believe in.
We wrap up the interview and as he walks away, I am convinced that there is a strong passion, energy and dedication beneath this laid back radio presenter-by-day and hip-hop-artiste-by-night.
By Georgia Atieno
A Bold Career Choice
by Njambi, Com 349X
A young woman in her early twenties with toffee-coloured skin takes a seat outside in the veranda at the Allen Grove campus of Daystar University, Nairobi. Situated above the veranda are the lecture rooms where, in less than half an hour, lectures are about to begin. Students stroll past, chatting, some oblivious, others take a glancing at their college mate with sunglasses resting high on her neat African braids, as they walk past to class.
Dressed in a black and white motif printed top accentuated by a black and white scarf, Wanjiku looks very much like the other students in the campus, but she has a different story. Her path to choosing a Communications degree evolved through several stages.
Wanjiku was born and bred in the capital city of Kenya. She attended high school on the outskirts of Nairobi and from an early age, she determined to purse a Bachelor of Commerce degree with the hope of becoming a banker. She deeply admired banking and all the trappings that came with the profession. To date, her father and aunt who were both bankers, continue to serve as her role models. Wanjiru’s big eyes light up as she recounts how on one Saturday morning while playing with her sister, her father stepped out of the house and took the girls out for a ride. The threesome set off to the central business district of Nairobi to the bank where her father worked. “The office was large, impressive, and comfortable and the carpet made it look very professional, there was no one in the office so we played whiles my father worked,” said Wanjiku, smiling as she looks back with nostalgia. “Another thing I liked about banking was the confidence and success that it gave my aunt” she adds, and concludes, “When you work in a bank, you will be successful.”
With this in mind, the first born of five siblings took the lead, and determined that the path she would follow is a Bachelor of Commerce degree, which would eventually lead her to the bank.
“It is rare that a student straight out of high school would be so focused.” states Ada a parent with three children one of whom has just completed her secondary education. On enquiring what her daughter wants to pursue, she goes on to say lightly “She has no clue, at this age there is so much happening, I will just let her stay at home for a while until she makes up her mind.” However, she is quick to add that it is important that a student is sure of which career path to follow as tertiary education in Kenya is quite expensive. It is therefore imperative that the correct choices are made before embarking on a course. For her daughter, Ada intends to walk her through the process until a concrete solution is forged.
In Wanjiku’s case, she did not require much intervention as she had made up her mind on what she wanted to do. After completing her secondary education, the local university could only offer a diploma in Commerce. Undeterred and determined to take her first choice, Wanjiku chose to apply for a degree course at Daystar University.
To join the degree course in Bachelors of Commerce, a bridging course was required. “I was not willing to take the course,” adds Wanjiku in a soft voice, “so an uncle told me that I could join as a communications student and later change to commerce”. Unwilling to take the bridging course, Wanjiku enrolled for the Communications degree course. True to her uncle’s word, all first year students at Daystar attend the same general subject before specializing in their various fields.
The university has taken into account that indeed there may be a few students not completely certain of what they may want to pursue and therefore given leeway for students who may change their mind. Pegging on this hope, Wanjiku walked into the institution determined to graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and pursue her dream job.
Much has changed since then.
“I enjoyed culture, like in the INS class, we would go and visit other cultures, like the time we went to visit a Nigerian, who is a lecturer at Daystar. We went to her place and we cooked with her, ate fufu and learned the way they do things,” describes Wanjiku in melodious voice, smiling as she remembers the fun events involved in the course work.
By the second year, Wanjiku was convinced that she would continue with her communication courses as they resonated well with her. However, this was not final until the day she was to hand in a written letter stating her intention to change to a Bachelor of Commerce degree. It is at this point she made a firm decision to pursue a communications degree majoring in Public Relations.
For Wanjiku, this is a wise choice, as Daystar university is highly recognized for its communication training, with students enrolling for the course from not only within the country and also from the east African region and beyond.
“PR is marketable and I have relatives and friends who have told me so. Besides,” she adds, “the Bachelor of Commerce field is flooded with more students choosing it over any other course”. Ida a former law student at Catholic University concurs with the fact that, since many high school leavers have no clue about their future career, Bachelor of Commerce is the most frequently selected course.
Wanjiku has not left the commerce field entirely, as she has chosen to take up Marketing as a minor. At Daystar University, there is possibility of taking one’s undergraduate studies with two majors or one major and a minor in a different discipline. For example, in Wanjiku’s case she has opted to take a major in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing, this is because she believes that they are interrelated and with the two, one stands a better chance of clinching a job.
“I have done some research and found out that most organizations have a PR department and I can still work in a bank and still do PR,” Wanjiku concludes.
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE YOU BE THE JUDGE.
A few years back if asked where I would like to be in four years my definite answer would have definitely been graduating from the University of my Dream. In this case it would be Nairobi University probably because all the people I deem as role models went through that university. However after finishing four years of secondary education, the level of talent accords one the right to be in very many different environments. That’s when it dawns on most students that public universities are no longer the only option, there is a new breed in town comprised of private universities. With up to 7 charted Public universities and 11 chartered Private Universities mainly found in the major cities in Kenya coupled with colleges and polytechnics.
When we say public universities, we immediately bring a prototypical institution to mind, usually a substantial state flagship modelled from the post colonial period, with a mix of people from all walks of life. This is the case in many public universities in Kenya, which have gradually evolved over the past few years-Kenyatta University recently put up a beautiful perimeter fence, Egerton is advancing in technology to upgrade its systems to cater for e learners. On the flipside public universities still have a lot to doing terms of service providence. Roy Tuitui a student from Nairobi University laments on the condition of public universities “frankly since I got here I have had to share a room with four other people whereas my room is designed to accommodate two people. Also a big problem comes in when it comes to teacher student ratio especially in subjects were I feel I need attention it is normally difficult to find a lecturer outside class.”
However if you look at the disparities involved in the sum payments of university fees they are very vest apart. For public universities the most expensive it can get is up to Ksh 70,000 per semester as opposed to up to ksh.130, 000 in a private university. These low fees charges have never been the issue of contempt in many public universities what makes students go up in arms in the streets is to protest bad governance from their leaders. During such strikes students destroy property worth a lot of money leaving the government responsible in paying every penny of it. According to Muhammed Jillo a student at Jomo Kenyatta University, he blames the students for the dilapidated state of public universities “we destroy this property ourselves disregarding the fact that we are the ones who will still be responsible in paying for it.”
When we say private universities we also have a prototype in mind, perhaps, Daystar, United States International University, with filthy rich kids from a certain class of people. This premise is very true considering the absurd amount of school fees one has to pay for just a single semester. Also considering the vast number of units that private universities prompt their students to take. In a university like Daystar duly respecting their Christian standards it can be very inconveniencing to take more than 6 bible courses which evolve around the same issues. “We come out as well rounded citizens but at the same time it can be a bit too much, “says Penina a student at Daystar University.
Although, private universities have the higher amount of tuition fee it also serves as value for ones money as private universities invest heavily on ICT development. Recently Daystar University introduced several laptops available to students in the library coupled with free Wi-Fi. The same university offers a fully equipped studio to cater for the communication course students. The levels of ICT development are equally impeccable in other private universities such as USIU, where students are given key cards to enable them access certain facilities in the institution. With the new wave of technology private universities are in a dash to make learning as easy, friendly and interesting for students as face book thus why the intense introduction of class blogs or class face book pages.
In the University the adage goes too much work and less play makes University students very cranky fellows who may result into destruction of property. That’s why there is always an influx of university students in the night life. Most clubs rely greatly on the presence of university students especially in during weekends for most of their earnings. The students also have enough petty cash needed to cater for their partying needs. The disadvantage may be the fact that partying involves alcohol which is slowly derailing a majority of the youth today. Other critics however say partying at this age is important so as to avoid personality crisis later in life. However the fact that alcohol leads to the eminence of other immoral habits may be a reason to come up with measures to tame students in universities.
Kenyan public universities do not train for retention. They operate on the assumption that there will always be people ready to join university . The case of Kenya’s university medical schools illustrates the fallacy of this assumption. As at 2006, 6,000 doctors had been trained in Kenya but the country managed to retain only 600. The country lags behind in the provision of qualified doctors with only 14 doctors per 100,000 populations. Therefore public universities live with the notion that the more they take in the more professionals they will get which in this case is not true. On the other hand private universities take in a lower population and train them adequately on all the skills required in regards to their profession therefore making them more competent and more adequate in serving the people who need their services.
The more we make comparisons between public and private universities the more likely we are to getting biased. Therefore the bottom line still remains that they both provide and education relevant to the job market. It is only important that one chooses an environment that best suits their needs.
by Joy Makena
Comparison between Public and Private Universties In Kenya
General Comparison of Private and Public UniversitiesBoaz and Rachael both studying in Public and Private Universities respectively
________________________________
In Kenya University education is offered by both public and private institutions. Public universities are those funded by the government and are formed by an act of parliament, whereas private universities are run by either individual entities or religious organizations. Both private and public universities are chartered an interim letter of authority by the Commission of Higher Education. This paper highlights a comparison of public and private universities on various aspects such as quality of education, infrastructure, affordability, and discipline among students, moral issues and leadership.
Various aspects can be used to measure the quality of education such as tutors’ level of education, general student performance, graduand’s demand in the labour market since there is a general feeling that some institutions produce better students in some fields than others and infrastructure such as buildings and land.
The Commission of Higher Education regulates both institutions, so the quality of education may be standardized as they are formally accredited. Lecturers in both private and public universities are the same in some common units as some lecturers in the private universities part time programs are from public universities. This is a good mechanism which ensures quality in teaching and also helps in cost cutting measures. In Private Institutions, both lecturers and students tend to be more serious with the teaching and learning process because of the high fees and expenses the students incur. The resources used and the teaching/learning process is better than what one finds within Public Universities.
In Private Universities, the courses offered and skills they impart to the students are aligned to the job market requirements. This may not be the case in public universities which may still offer training in courses which are not relevant to the modern industry needs. Some of these courses offered by such institutions which do not address the current market trends make them less competitive in comparison with some private universities. Quality of education may be compromised in terms of delivery of lectures in public universities due to high lecturer to student ratio that is smaller in the private universities.
On infrastructure and other facilities, public universities have better buildings, bigger libraries and well developed facilities because they get funding from the government. A variety of programs are offered in these universities due to good and enabling infrastructure. For example, only public universities in Kenya have the facilities for engineering and agriculture courses. On the other hand, most private universities are affiliated to religious organizations and they are still striving for infrastructural growth and looking for sources of funding. For example apart from United States International University (USIU) that has the largest library, all others have small libraries. Generally with regard to infrastructure some private universities have an edge in some aspects as equipment, modern library facilities and use of information and communication technology than some public universities.
In terms of affordability, public universities are cheaper because the government subsidizes the major expenses like salaries, administrative costs, development funds and other major running expenses. When it comes to fees most students get loans from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). In private universities, the tuition fee is too high because that money is used to cater for all major expenses. The universities put effort to enroll a large number of students inorder to raise more income to meet the large expenditure. This is achieved by introducing courses that are popular on employment market and that are not offered by public universities. For example Strathmore university recently introduced an executive Master of Business Administration. The church affiliated universities also get support for growth and expansion from religious organizations and through donations.
On the discipline issue among students the public universities have incidents such as strikes and demonstrations due to the large staff/student ratio that creates a big gap between students and management. Students cannot easily air their grievances. The regular program students may not be committed to learning because of subsidized fees and too much idle time so they may choose to use their time on such strikes and demonstrations. Lack of good administration, proper food in their cafeterias and good amenities may also cause such strikes. In private universities, the small staff/student ratio allows students to freely air their views hence defusing tension and so there may be no strikes or demonstrations, and that is why most excel well in their studies.
Moral issues with regard to alcohol, drugs, immorality and code of dressing are more prevalent in public universities because of too much idle time, the hostel setting within the university and peer influence. Students tend to engage in immorality, drug and alcohol abuse. In private universities, all these vices are more controlled because in most of these universities students attend lectures and leave, students are also closely monitored. There are fewer cases of adverse malpractices within the campus setting and the students are highly motivated to successfully complete their studies hence the rate of dropout is lower than that of public universities. Students are more controlled by systems being put in place like strict code of conduct in terms mode of dressing. In some Universities, tattoos and ear piercing for men and women is not allowed. Most of these issues are addressed at orientation or in student handbooks or brochures.
Leadership in public universities is by a Vice Chancellor who is appointed by the Head of State, whereas in private universities the Vice Chancellor is appointed by the Board of Governors and Trustees. Student leaders’ elections in public universities are more open and are proceeded by intense campaigns and voting and the leaders have more power than those in private universities.
In conclusion, both private and public Universities have a role to play in imparting knowledge and skills to students; the choice of university is more of individual preference, financial ability, religious affiliation, and area of specialization. These views do not rank which sector is superior to the other.
995 WORDS
Anne-08-0793
THE HUSTLE OF CHOOSING THE PERFECT UNIVERSITY by Phillip Mului
Are you an ex-candidate looking for universities that can offer a conducive environment to study? Well, all the best because with the number of universities, university students and those yet to join institutions of higher learning ever growing, one is left to wonder which type of university or college he or she would like to join to pursue a certificate, diploma or degree for a better future. In this case we are not going to look at the career path of the student but the type of university the student can afford to learn in. simply, whether to choose a private or public university.
X5 Magazine enlisted my help to find out the difference between private and public universities. I took a tour to a private and public university to find out what they thought but first, let me break the ice by telling you my experience when I was trying to make a decision whether to enroll in a private or public university.
When I completed my high school education, I was given the chance to select a university offering a degree in the career I had in mind which was communication. I had to go to the University Expo in early 2006 at Sarit Centre in order to select a school. At the time, it was easy finding the schools that offer communication as a degree. University of Nairobi, Kenya School of Mass Communication, African Nazarene University and Daystar University were the only ones who would offer a degree in communication. I went back home with the application papers and brochures for my mum to see. She was impressed but then she told me that I can only join Daystar on the grounds that it was private and well established. Although I landed in Nazarene for the first one year, I managed to join Daystar and that’s where I am. Here are the differences between private and public universities that would help you make that decision.
Ownership
Well, by this time I expect you to tell the difference between private and public university. In short private means ownership by an individual and public is ownership by a community. We it is that same when it comes to universities. A private university is owned by a set of individuals in a partnership to govern and manage the university, with the founder of the institution being the heard of the board of directors of the institution while a public university is owned by the community under the Ministry of Higher Education and Learning.
Funding
Private universities are funded by professional donors and well wishers. Private schools also rely on parents teachers and most of all students through their fees for support whereas public universities rely on the government through the Ministry of Higher Education to provide for the students needs.
Staff Members
To run an institution you need a lot of personnel that work hand in hand towards achieving a goal. Teaching and non teaching staff forms the backbone of the institution.
In public universities, teaching staff like lectures and facilitators are employed and directly paid by the government through the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) located in the Bazaar House next to the new Ufundi Co-Operative House while teaching staff in private institutions are employed and paid directly by the school management.
Although there is growth of service providing companies for example G4S, Serene, Parapet and others that provide Non teaching staff like cleaners, cooks, watchmen , public universities still employ and pay their non teaching staff directly from the school kitty whereas private outsource workers from the service providers.
Fees
There is a major difference between fees paid to a public and that of a private institution is one measuring up to the thousands. With the support of the government, you can pay lesser or affordable fees in public university than private university, which you have to pay hefty service charges so as to support growth of the school.
Facilities
When it comes to facilities, nothing beats a public university especially if it is named after a sitting president or politician. The prominent person wants their reputation to be intact and therefore they have to ensure that the best services are offered to students even if there is an overflow. This means that anything that they need for their studies and curricular activities is provided freely by the government while private universities depend on how much they can raise from donors and school fees to support the demand for facilities as the number of students increase.
Campuses
The first thing you notice when you enter a university compound is the activity within. You have to look at the space around. Do they have a place to walk, sit and even relax? To decrease congestion, public universities like University of Nairobi tend to have as many campuses as possible. This means that the environment they are situated is not conducive for study unlike private universities there they build one or two campuses in a clean environment.
Quantity of Students
You can make a guess; with the reduced cost of fees and services, which institution is likely to have a large number of students? Well let me help you there. A public institution tends to have many students since they are affordable to the majority of lower and lower-middle class living people and they also have the facilities that can support a large number of students at a time whereas private institutions are for those who can afford. This means that those people who form the minority in the upper-middle and upper class can afford to go to private institutions.
Quality of Education
Although they claim that public universities have more facilities, the quantity of students affects the process of study. With lecture halls that hold over 100 students in public universities, lectures don’t have one on one time with the students to know how they are fairing on. Students who are slowly in grasping facts are affected since they cannot ask questions. Some classes in private universities hold not more than 30 students to ensure that the lecturer is able to communicate effectively with the students
Activities
One of the strengths of the public university is to bring out people with the skills in the market to support themselves. Although private universities try as much as possible they cannot beat the competition because public universities provide hands on experience to the job world. Private universities tend to spoon feed the students.
Our Opinions
I gathered various opinions from Daystar University of how students feel about a public university:
Goodness is an international student from Cameroon and she says that private schools are cleaner than public schools.
Carole Mwende on the other hand says that you are allowed to choose classes that you want to go to in a public university whereas you are forces to take classes that you don’t want to take in private universities.
Udwork Nshehe, says there is a clear distinction between private and public universities in how they are run. Simply the different styles and systems that govern the university make a public university better than a private university.
Mweri Nganje is a Christian and he says that in public universities, you are either a Christian or not while in private there is a mixture of people and you can’t tell the difference.
To conclude this topic I can point out that you are now the driver of your own destiny. You also have to consider the support from your sponsor while you select a university. I would recommend that you would follow your heart, your pocket and the information here.
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Philip ‘DJ Winchester’ Mului, by Samuel ‘Sam Yob’ Lukudu
Philip ‘DJ Winchester’ Mului is a 23 year old Kenyan student, he is a fourth year communication scholar at Daystar University and an alumnus of Home Boyz DJ Academy. Winchester currently lives in Nairobi with his mother and younger brother.
Hobbies
Winchester says he loves “hanging out with friends and with mom, cooking and watching movies”. He also enjoys Deejaing, and listening to various types of music.
Education
Before joining Daystar, Winchester was schooling in the central province of Kenya.
As per the reason behind schooling in Daystar, Winchester says it was his parent’s choice adding that he had always wanted to study communication, particularly something creative in that field, thus ended up choosing advertising as his major.
Winchester in Daystar University, working on a class assignment
Deejaing
Winchester says he adopted the name (DJ Winchester) recently when he was listening to a song, during which the artist mentioned the name and he immediately liked it, he also goes on to add “I also liked the name because it is a name of a beautiful city in London, along with the fact that it is a name of an old riffle that I admire”.
“It started just as a way to impress some one” says Winchester explaining how he ended up being a DJ. He says he wanted to do something extraordinary to impress a certain girl, and so he settled on the idea of going to a DJ school.
Winchester accomplished his mission and succeeded in impressing his sweetheart then, but unfortunately their relationship did not last for long, however he says he doesn’t regret going to learn how to DJ despite the fact that he is no longer together with his “inspiring sweetheart” as he described her.
Winchester went to HomeBoyz DJ Academy, and was trained for a period of two months between June and July of 2010. He was not in session during that time, and so he was able to attend the Deejaing classes.
Winchester says, he has not yet performed in a public gathering per se, but he says he is planning to start doing so, before the end of this year.
DJ Winchester, enjoying himself while Deejaing at the home boyz DJ academy
Winchester’s favorite local DJ’s are DJ Hassan and DJ Spooney, who happen to be the guys who thought him how to DJ. “They inspired me” he says, but nonetheless he goes on to add “But you know, the moment you become a DJ, it is as if you develop a mentality to hate the other DJs”
As per the genre of music that he generally likes, Winchester says “I like soul, raga, reggae, a bit of hip hop, crunk and techno”. He says he mostly prefers playing the songs he loves, but goes on to say that it usually gets tricky, when playing for an audience, because the aim changes to mainly entertaining and satisfying the audience, thus sometimes a DJ is forced to play a particular genre that might not be to his liking, “It totally depends on your crowd, if your crowd wants Lingala, if your crowd wants hip hop, if your crowd wants reggae, you have to give it to them, whether you like it or not”
Job and Career
“Once you are in the job world, you don’t know where you are going to land” says Winchester, the way he sees it is either ending up opening his own Deejaing company, or just concentrating on what he is currently studying namely PR and Advertising.
But all in all Winchester says, he will try to reach a compromise, by assuring that his work revolves around entertainment, “I might end up doing a bit of Deejaing and also a bit of the other things I will be destined to do, as far as my career is concerned”
Religion and Faith
“I consider my self, one of the guys who likes sitting on the fence” says Winchester describing himself as far as religion is concerned, he however goes on to justify that by adding “influences come from both sides of the paradigm, that is religion and the secular world and so those inspirations sometimes put you in a state, where one can’t decide where he or she belongs per se, thus sometimes one ends up being stuck in the middle”
Challenges
Winchester considers time, among the major challenges facing him at the moment. He says sometimes unbalanced management of time affects him greatly, and that is why he always makes sure he is managing time effectively.
“I set time to practice on my computer and do my assignments and so on and forth”, Winchester however goes on to say that, the real challenge as far as time management is concerned, comes in the moment he gets bored. “I am someone who gets bored pretty fast, for example sometimes when I start working on a school assignment, some minutes down the line I find my self bored to death, and then what do I do? I start playing my music when I am supposed to be doing my assignment”
A friend of Winchester’s confirmed that by saying “I sometimes find him listening to music when waiting for the lecturer, I guess he loves music that much” says Rosemary sarcastically.
Best Moment in life
“So far I can say the best moment of my life was meeting Alaine” reveals Winchester, referring to his meeting with the Jamaican reggae artist Alaine Laughton, when she came to Kenya early November, “She came to do her sound check before the sepetuka 3 concert, I was there so I got the opportunity of hanging out with her, and I truly enjoyed that” added Winchester.
Winchester with Alaine before the Sepetuka 3 concert
Worst Moment in life
Winchester says the worst day of his life was when he lost his best friend, “it was last year, he was crossing the road, and got knocked down by a mat” says Winchester.
Post-graduation plans
“The first thing I wanna do after graduation is to get married” says Winchester, and despite being single at the moment Winchester says “I am hopeful that she will come along before the graduation day”
Word count: 996
By Samuel K Lukudu ______ 07-1485
November 28, 2010
Comparison of Kenya’s public and private universities
A comparison between public and private universities
With an unusual demand for knowledge in Kenya today, the institutions of higher learning have been rising by the day. Just a walk in the streets of Nairobi city centre will reveal this scenario as every day buildings are being converted to universities. The number of public universities in Kenya is 7 while private universities form the bulk with more than 20 private universities.
One of the advantages with public universities is that students who qualify to go to these institutions get to pay a subsidized fee since the government pays for them some amount. With this in mind, it is obvious that high school candidates who aspire to join institutions of higher learning would definitely prefer public universities. This brings a lot of competition among those who intend to join public universities.
Joining a public university does not come easy, there is a criterion that needs to be followed and has to be fair to everyone. We therefore find that public universities only take the students who perform the best in the country, where they select them in a chronological manner from the highest. The rest who may also have done well are locked out due to the fact that university capacity cannot accommodate all. These brings in a lot of competition as many strive to get themselves a place in the regular program offered in public universities as most students cannot afford to pay fees for private universities. Competition also comes because public universities are less, with only 7 available, you find that there is a challenge where not everyone can fit in them. With private universities, it is very expensive and therefore the first qualification is the money factor, followed by the grade you got in your KCSE. This makes it possible for the students who can afford to pay to learn in private universities.
A critical look at both the private and public universities reveals a great difference between the two in terms of the assets of the universities. It is evident that the public universities are more established than their counterparts the private universities. This can be attributed to the fact that public universities are funded by the government. There is especially a difference when you compare the facilities and faculties that the universities have. You find that public universities are more equipped than the private universities. We therefore find that public universities are more upgraded in many more sectors compared to private universities.
Another major difference is the fact that public universities are bigger in size and faculty numbers based on the direct impact from the financing of the universities. While private universities may start with just a few faculties before they grow, public universities offer almost all common bachelor degrees .The other differentiating factor between private and public universities is where public universities really have many students administered. This affects the student’s learning environment as students are taught in halls unlike most private universities where they use classrooms which are better learning environment.
Most of the students in private universities choose which private institution they want, but it is always their sponsors who have the last word as they have to decide how the fees will be paid. Therefore it is the sponsors who determine which private universities the students attend. An interview with Dorcas , an Undergraduate student at Daystar University confirmed the same facts discussed, where it was her father’s first choice. “The reason why I chose public universities was because it was my dad’s first choice, so I just had to come here”, says Dorcas. This shows that sponsors really play a big role in deciding where their students go for their graduate or diploma certificate.
Others prefer private universities because of the services they have which are of better quality compared to public universities. One of the reasons attributing to this has to do with the total number of students in the two kinds of universities. It is also one key attribute that popped up in the two interviews conducted. The students interviewed brought up the aspect of population in both kind of universities where they said public universities are densely populated as compared to public universities. “Public universities are very populated compared to private universities which are sparsely populated and I think public universities lecturers really do not have a one on one focus with the students like the private ones which lectures have time with the students”. This was said by student in a public university who acknowledged this fact. This factor may make some students and sponsors choose private universities in spite of even doing well in their ‘O’ levels.
There is also one discouraging factor about public universities where students wait for more than a year before getting admitted to public universities. The reason behind this is when the current education system was initiated, one academic year was lost, causing the wait. We therefore find that most public university students stay for more than a year before getting admitted and this makes some students and sponsors prefer private universities.
One outstanding thing that can never miss while discussing about public universities is strikes. It is very funny because if it is not the students striking, it is their lectures striking. Under many occasions we have had temporary closure of the public universities due to strikes which leads to high loses and wasted time that results from the temporary closure. This also delays and extends the time one is supposed to graduate thus leading to frustrations.
http://kenyasocialist.org/statements/ksda_solidarity_%20message_%20to_%20lecturers_strike.htm
Basically the comparison between the two kinds of universities reveals that both universities have their advantages and their disadvantages but one thing for sure, private universities are really doing well. As a recommendation, there is really need to create more public universities as the existing ones are facing challenges of maintaining high standard of quality of the learning process, since students are so many. An increase of the public universities should also be implemented to accommodate those students who qualify, yet do not get a chance to be in the university simply because they cannot afford private universities.
wanjiku
1022 words
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