The Ministry of Education is moving to reshape university education by introducing a Competency-Based Education (CBE) system that will place greater focus on the skills, knowledge and abilities students demonstrate by the time they graduate.
The State Department for Higher Education has now invited consultants to help develop a framework that will guide the adoption of CBE in universities, extending the competency-based approach already being used in primary and secondary schools.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, August 18, the department said the assignment will support the Commission for University Education (CUE) in reviewing, validating and preparing the framework for implementation across universities.
“The services to be included under this project are to support the Commission for University Education in the review, validation, development, implementation and operationalization of a University Competence-Based Education (CBE) Framework in Kenya that enhances quality, relevance, employability, innovation capacity and industry responsiveness of university education,” the notice stated.
The planned framework is expected to guide universities on how courses are designed, taught and assessed, with a stronger focus on the skills needed by graduates in their chosen fields.
Under the proposed system, learning outcomes and graduate skill profiles will be developed for different academic disciplines, taking into account professional and industry requirements.
University programmes will also be reviewed to establish whether the skills taught to students match the needs of employers and the country’s development priorities.
The changes could affect what students learn in class, how they are taught, how their performance is assessed and the practical skills they are expected to demonstrate before completing their studies.
The framework will also provide guidance on curriculum development, teaching, assessment, practical learning, digital education and other approaches to delivering university courses.
As part of the preparations, each university will be assessed to determine its readiness to adopt CBE. The exercise will also identify areas where institutions may need additional support or resources before the new approach is introduced.
The consultancy to develop and operationalise the framework is expected to run for 12 months, meaning its completion will extend beyond 2026.
This comes despite an earlier indication by Higher Education Secretary Carol Hunja in March that the CBE rollout in universities would be completed by the end of the year.
The ministry is also undertaking a separate exercise to assess the readiness of university lecturers for the new system.
The six-month consultancy will examine lecturers’ teaching skills, digital capabilities and preparedness to deliver competency-based education.
The assessment is expected to identify areas where university educators may require further training and professional development ahead of implementation.
Consultants interested in undertaking either of the two assignments have until September 7 to submit their expressions of interest as the ministry advances preparations for the introduction of CBE in universities.