Why Students Are Rushing for Teaching Courses – Expert
Due to their low demand in the labour market, the government has long considered eliminating some university and college programmes.
The late Prof. George Magoha, who served as the cabinet secretary for education at the time, suggested in April 2019 that 98 courses might be dropped because of poor student registration.
It’s interesting to note that in October 2018, President William Ruto, who was serving as Deputy President at the time, advised students to avoid choosing unproductive majors like sociology and anthropology.
In the present, there are legitimate worries about the employability of several curricula.
In the 2023 university placement cycle, more than 100 courses each drew fewer than 10 students, according to data released by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Nevertheless, there are also encouraging improvements amidst these difficulties. According to the report, out of the more than 140,000 students the commission put in different colleges, about 30,000 chose to pursue a Bachelor of Education.
It is remarkable that these students have chosen the B.A. in Education as their favourite course while having the credentials to follow more specialised fields like Pharmacy, Medicine, or Architecture.
Professor Raphael Nyonje, a member of the University of Nairobi’s Department of Education, told Kenyans.co.ke that they expect an even greater enrollment in this field as a result of the country’s evolving employment trends.
Whether on a full-time basis, as many young teachers do, or as part-time teachers employed by the board, there are ample work options for teachers in public or private schools. Many areas do not offer opportunities of this nature, the professor observed.
According to the professor, the country’s challenging economic conditions have led pupils to prioritise employment security over career status.
Prof. Nyonje added that because teachers can be developed into instructors or peer developers, many professionals today prefer hiring them.
Because they think they can be very helpful in educating others and are also very adaptive, he said, “many bankers will prefer getting a business and mathematics teacher on board.”
According to him, the employment market today is looking for talents, flexibility, and value addition. He believes that these qualities will set people apart in the present work environment.
Prof. Nyonje argues that the majority of students may have realised this and are rushing to enrol in education programmes even when they are qualified for other courses.
“You must also keep in mind that anyone in society can become a teacher. You can transition into any career, business, or even volunteer work if you have training as a teacher, the speaker noted.
The professor also cited recent modifications to university education financing as a factor in the rising student enrollment.
According to the administrator, more students who would have previously sought out various courses at private institutions will now enrol in public universities.
In contrast to the past, when the government would continue to subsidise students attending private institutions, recent education changes have caused many students to seek sanctuary in public universities.
The lecturer claims that this move has caused students to search for the closest marketable course that they are likely to get accepted into. It turns out that a lot of them have chosen to pursue schooling.
He declared that the University of Nairobi is prepared to receive the large number of new students who will enrol in the autumn of this year.
Why Students Are Rushing for Teaching Courses – Expert
