Thousands of fake degrees to be recalled, P1 grade teachers worst hit
The CUE's report unearthed premature graduations, with extreme cases showing that students clear degree courses in nine months.
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The recommendations of the report are also a blow to thousands of teachers who attend university classes during school holidays as the ministry has stopped them immediately.
"All academic programmes under school-based programme or any other related names are stopped immediately. Students on school based mode shall be required to continue training on part-time basis," reads part of the report seen by P Live Kenya.
Equally, masters graduate students who gained admission for PhD classes using executive degree papers have been barred from teaching in Kenyan universities.
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In a report out to shake the world of academia, it has recommended the recall of honorary degrees that were awarded in contravention of the public universities set standards and guidelines.
Quality check
Many universities have been found culpable of contravening the requirements of keeping students’ class attendance records, many students allegedly falling short of the hours required to sit examinations.
The report has also implicated many universities having failed to put security details on the awarded certificates, paving way for many fake academic papers.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) prepared report further revealed that many students have been graduating prematurely, without necessarily completing the set units, with extreme cases showing that students clear degree courses, meant for four years, in nine months.
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In one scenario, the report notes, a student who allegedly sat Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in 2010 and scored a D+, graduated with a bachelor's degree in less than two years.
The student is said to have done a certificate programme between May and September 2011, obtained a distinction and got admitted for a diploma programme in a university, which ended in December 2013.
"She was then admitted in the same university in second year in March 2014 and graduated in December 2015, implying she took one year eight months," reads part of the report.
Education CS Fred Matiang’i has vowed to fully implement the report by CUE, terming the findings a serious challenge for the sector.
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While the assurance might have seemed a light one, Matiang’i is a renowned education reformist and he has in equal measure curbed last year’s examinations cheating in both in primary and secondary schools.
"Universities should take necessary steps to rectify the situation for the affected students which will include such actions but not limited to cancelling such admissions or recalling such awards,” Matiang’i said.
Failing students
Following a finding by the commission that some students have been allowed to proceed to other education levels despite them failing, it has recommended that no student shall progress to the next academic class without passing all examinations and getting all marks or evidence of provisional marks.
Graduates from over 70 public universities and were earlier admitted without having the minimum university entry requirement of grade C+, are set to be recalled and lose their academic papers.
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"The contraventions include admitting students who do not meet the KCSE mean grade C+ requirement into degree programmes based on pre-university courses, bridging courses and P1 certificates," enumerates the report.
The fate of thousands of P1 teachers who enrolled into universities to pursue degree programmes hangs in the balance. Ever since, grade P1 has been scrapped.
The report further reveals that some universities breached admissions standards by taking in students with credits and distinctions in diploma courses straight into second, third or even fourth academic year.
On Thursday, CUE chairperson Chacha Nyaigotti said a joint quality assurance working group had been formed to oversee the implementation.
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Some universities admit students based on age, while others were admitted to masters degrees without bachelor’s degrees.
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