Africa-Press – Kenya. Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has begun a consultative process in readiness for the establishment of the National Open University. Machogu met university education stakeholders at his Jogoo House office on Monday.
“Globally, countries have adopted Open Learning which makes education more affordable, accessible, and attainable to all students, no matter their location or income level,” Machogu said.
This forms part of President William Ruto’s key pledges on education reforms. An open university has an open-door academic policy, with minimal or no entry requirements.
Open universities may employ specific teaching methods, such as open-supported learning or distance education. In 2022, Ruto directed the education review team to recommend criteria to implement an open university in Kenya.
“To recommend a framework of operationalizing the National Open University of Kenya and a framework on Open, Distance and E-line learning (ODEL),” the notice reads.
On higher education, the Kenya Kwanza Charter proposed to establish a public university in every county in tandem with the University Act (2012). The universities will be made to focus on their comparative advantage in their training.
To increase access and reduce the cost of university education and implement a 100 per cent transition to higher education institutions. The Kenya Kwanza alliance further proposed to increase the number of technical universities from the current three to eight across the eight regions.
Ruto also proposed the amendment of the Universities Act, 2012, to allow the transfer of management of universities. This includes hiring from the public service and putting in place legislative, policy, and budgetary measures to address the current financial crunch in public universities.
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