Creative Approaches to Higher Education and Training for Sustainable Quality University Education for Sustainable Development in Kenya
Gilbert Nyakundi Okebiro
School of social Sciences and Education, Turkana University College
Abstract
Education is a key for better life and effective foundation for smooth operations of person’s lifetime. In the recent times university education is becoming irrelevant for hiring the individuals, in organizations and industries both locally, nationally and internationally. This is due to graduates from unfettered proliferation of Satellite University campuses in almost every town in Kenya churning half-baked graduates. The problem is the commercialization and politicization of higher education leading to poor standards and quality education leading churning out unemployable graduates trained courses which are unresponsive to market needs and industrial attraction. The objective is to investigate whether the satellite campuses offer courses with quality and standards. The paper employs a survey method and data collected through questionnaires from students in satellite campuses in Kitale, Eldoret and Nakuru towns through simple random sampling. The research paper target a population of 500 and 30% sample size. The key results shows that there is poor standards in satellite campuses because part time lecturers are not paid on time and wait for three years and lead to de-motivation as a consequence of poor teaching and supervision of students. Some lecturers do not submit the marked scripts and the management manipulate grades for students to graduate. There is insufficient and dilapidated infrastructure, boated enrolment, nepotism, tribalism and poor quality education offered in satellite campuses. It is concluded the emergency of university satellite campuses has led to poor quality and standards in universities leading to half-baked and unemployable graduates though having attractive grades. The research paper recommends innovate approaches should be used for education reforms and restructuring be done in satellite campuses for sustainable education development in line with vision 2030.The satellite campuses should be allowed to operate if they have enough and full time qualified teaching staff and finances, without which standards of higher education will remain poor in Kenya.
Key words: Commercialization, education, politicization, quality, standards
Introduction
Tracing the quality and standards of university education in Africa, historical evidence indicates that the quality and standard of education was highly valued in Africa. However, as in other parts of the world, literacy in Africa was connected with religion, so that in Islamic countries, it was a Koranic Education, and in Christian Ethiopia, the education was designed to train priests and monks. In Egypt, there was the Al-Azhar University, in morocco, the University of Fez, and in Mali, the University of Timbuktu-all testimony to standard of education achieved in Africa before the colonial intrusion (Rodney, 2015:223). Quality and standards of education in Kenyan universities is low due to the fact that the lecturers embark only the teaching pillar and forget about other pillars of research and community outreach. The part times have no time in research due to the fact of their deplorable financial state resulting into being unable to research and publish. There is evidence that universities have gone teaching without involving students in research and community outreach. In the early university was of a high quality and standards was maintained because lecturers involved students in doing research and publication. Many of the monographs and articles for Departmental teaching were prepared and published by the lecturers through the research work conducted by their students in Makerere University, University of Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam University. These universities had a balanced standards and quality education in three pillars of the university education that is teaching, research and Community/public outreach, that is why they were outstanding and popular in East Africa, Africa and the whole world and enabling students exchange programmes.
Universities in Kenya in early sixties to late nineties were known as Ivory towers in education. Those who received the higher education were known to be “academic community”. The academic community to come down from the ivory tower is really a challenge. Has Ki-Zerbo observed “there is very little use to have African academics living like home-grown clones of foreign technical and personnel, the kind of person ordinary people cannot identify with”(Ki-Zerbo,1994:36).Similarly Ochola (2007:101) connotes that it has correctly been observed that “African universities stand as vital organs in the institutional framework of the nation”(Hagan,1994:46). As Hagan (1994) noted,” not to provide support for the development of the university would compromise and deny the one means by which Africa can develop intellectually, socially and materially”. Therefore, in the context of African university development requirements, the university teachers have basically two mandates. The first, for which they are paid, is to advance the frontiers of knowledge and produce trained personnel, who not only pursue their own individual interests, but also that of the society at large. This requires the academics to devote their time in activities of public education. The second and due to the scarcity of professionals in Africa, is to assist in search for, and the creation of well-founded institutions, sound public policies and scientific management practices that can sustain development (Ochola, 2007:101).
It is quite unfortunate to get the university professors in the management frustrate the part time lecturers by non-payment for three years and yet they know the difficulties of dissemination of knowledge and skills to others. “University” means any institution or centre of learning by whatever name called, or however designated, having as one of its objects the provision of post-secondary education which intends to offer or is in fact offering courses of instruction leading to the grant of certificates, diplomas and degrees, and the expression “university education” shall be construed accordingly (Kenya Education Directory,2012). University: according to Webster’s New Twentieth century Dictionary, a university is an educational institution of the highest level, typically with one or more undergraduate schools or colleges, together with a program of graduate studies and a number of professional schools and authorized to confer various degrees, as the bachelor’s, master’s and doctor’s. University education refers to education provided by universities in qualitative training in relevant fields according to the current market demands. Therefore, University education is associated with better skills, higher productivity and enhanced human capacity to improve the quality of life in societies. University education as an institution is where graduates are being churned to possess not only technical skills but must have the soft skills and other knowledge skills required, referred to as the intellectual battle. University education is delivered in institutions in various modes including face- to- face, distance learning, online learning and open education resources. The face-to-face mode is considered the traditional mode of learning while open and distance education and online education are an effective alternative (Gasevic, Kovanovic, Joksimovic, and Siemens, 2014),catalyzed by the emerging technologies such as internet, social media and mobile technologies (Saadatmand and Kumpulainen,2014).
In Africa a number of factors hinder the offering of quality university education to students. These include: having a few qualified teaching staff, insufficient specialized courses at masters and PhD levels that address technological, financial and cultural challenges, and largely underfunded programmes in institutions which leads to serious capacity issues in the continent (Escher, Noukakis, and Aebischer, 2014).In Kenya university institutions have experienced similar challenges as their counterparts in the global market(Bryant 2013;Chacha,2014).however a key challenge noted is the ability to meet the demand for university education which has increased since its first offering in the 1970s (John et al,2017). The expansion has been characterized by increased student enrollment, structural expansion and diversification of programmes in addition to the creation of new universities and new campuses (Chacha,2004),leading to multiple challenges including shortage of academic staff, increased cost of education relative to GDP and shortage of funds (Boit & Kipkoech,2012).In addition, government allocation for university education was reduced since 1994 causing institutions to seek alternative for revenue (John et al,2017),leading to emergence of satellite campuses opened by universities anywhere in major towns in Kenya and offering unqualitative and substandard university education. Whereas the university expansion has addressed the progression from high school to university, little has been done to address the challenges affecting the quality of education in the institutions and research has shown that the ratio of student to lecturer is below the recommended ratio by the Commission for Higher Education (Gudo,Olel,& Oanda,2011) and the number of PhD holding lecturers in institutions is also below the expected ratio(John et al,2017).This forces lecturer teaching one student in verandah instead of lecture theatres in satellite campuses.
Education is a key for better life and effective foundation for smooth operations of person’s lifetime. But in the recent times university education is becoming irrelevant for hiring the individuals, in organizations and industries both locally, nationally and internationally. This has rendered university degree holders useless and misplaced in the society. This is due to graduates from unfettered proliferation of Satellite University campuses in almost every town in Kenya churning half-baked graduates. In this aspect, a satellite campus refers to an institution located in a town, managed and operations are done by a director and two or three administrators appointed by Mother University and several non-teaching staffs on contract basis and large numbers of part time lecturers. Public universities do not give contract letters to part time lecturers to demand for their rights that is why, they distance themselves and unable to protest, and cannot sue the university management (Okebiro, 2017). Part time lecturers are unable to take the university management to court, because a great number of them do not have letters of contract with their universities. And since part time lecturer’s union of Kenya (PTLUK) was not registered and was operating illegally, the officials had no mandate on behalf of the lecturers (Weekly Citizen, February, 2016). In the pre-colonial period, according to Professor Indiatsi Nasibi, in his article “Management of universities a mockery of devolution”, one campus had thousands of teaching staff with tutorial fellows who assisted professors marking papers and scripts (Daily Nation, May 19th, 2013).
Universities in Kenya maintained one campus for example university of Nairobi, Kenyatta, Egerton, Moi, Jomo Kenyatta universities for some period before 1990s.This was an indication of quality lectureship professorship and quality standards in university education as compared to modern Kenya where a university is given a charter within two years begins to open branches without even maintaining the quality of the main campus alone in terms of qualified lecturers and other resources in teaching. Okebiro (2016) observes that “provision of quality education is dependent on more than teachers/lecturers and classrooms/lecture theatres, but the duration or period on which the content in the curriculum is covered”. The quality of the content taught, the materials used to teach it and the skills that are developed are too of great significance (Okebiro, 2016).Staffing in universities is outstretched because there is the mismatch workforce and personnel to staff the increasing mass of students.
Statement of the Problem
The problem is the commercialization and politicization of higher education leading to poor standards and quality education leading churning out unemployable graduates trained courses which are unresponsive to market needs and industrial attraction. Many scholars have decried the dearth of proper research and deterioration of quality of learning in most public universities. The financial health of most public universities has been questioned with many accused of misappropriating funds or over borrowing to run universities. They also have been accused of fueling negative ethnicity by hiring staff not necessarily based on merit and competence but on tribalism and corruption, which is unacceptable as diversity should help enhance quality and standard of learning in universities. Further, there is duplication of degree programmes across universities and mushrooming of what is termed as “Lollipop degree programmes, which undermine the very essence of university education of offering quality and standard education. A lollipop degree as the name suggests is alluring, trendy, both sexy and sexualized, thin in content and possessing the barest of “nutritive”(intellectual and possibly employment) dividends. Hence the objective of this study was to investigate whether the satellite campuses offer courses with quality and standards.
Literature Review
There was no university education in East Africa until 1949 when Makerere College in Uganda was elevated to the status of the University College of East Africa (Bogonko, 1992).University education up to then was received in overseas or foreign countries. First, this means those who were able financially and favored by the colonial government, their children were allowed to go and receive university education and it was financed by the colonial government. Second, those who received university education in foreign land, either their parents collaborated with the colonial government or were supportive in one way or the other to colonial system. Third, because of few people were qualified to receive such education and the colonial government could not allow, Africans feared to go to school to get primary and intermediate education to qualify for university education.
The period of Makerere College 1949 to 1961, the university education was financed by the colonial government. In 1961 two other colleges, Nairobi and Dar- es- Salaam were established and 1963, the three colleges were amalgamated to form the University of East Africa. The three colleges became independent universities in 1970, as Makerere University in Uganda, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and university of Nairobi in Kenya (Bogonko, 1992).University education was not in great demand, because few people could cope with education system in colonial system. Makerere University was the only in East and Central Africa and offered a few courses for the students from the region. When the demand for higher education grew, Makerere had to expand and open branches in Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya to meet demand goals. Those who had money travelled to overseas to acquire higher education in U.S.A, Canada, U.S.S.R, India, Jamaica, Australia and United Kingdom. This “flight education” was necessary, because the capacity of East African Universities could not cater for high demands of students. Nowadays universities have been located everywhere in Kenya, both public and private. Malcolm Gills, the president of Rice University back in 1999, noted that “Today, more than ever before in human history, the wealth or poverty of nations depends on quality of higher education. Those with larger repertoire of skills and a greater capacity for learning can look forward to lifetimes of unprecedented economic fulfillment. But in the coming decades the poorly educated face little better than the dearly prospects of lives of quiet desperation”.
Educational development refers to skills and knowledge acquired by people without any region being marginalized. Kenya intends to create globally competitive and adaptive resource base to meet the requirement of a rapidly industrializing economy. This will be done through life-long training and Education, (Vision 2030). According to Mutheu (2012), human capital is now estimated to be three times more than important than the physical capital. Where does this human capital come from? It is developed at higher systems and for there to be higher quality education system with tertiary education providing advanced skills, which command a premium in today’s work place. Lifelong learning is being used to assist workers adjust to the quadruple changing economies globally. According to Chambers (2005), participation concerns mutual learning, in which participation is an epistemological and practical issue of understanding where others are coming from and ideally, learning from one another to achieve a better outcome. A university has changed perceptions in the area and simplified dry land for farming through extensive research by the university (The Standard August 16, 2013).
The Universities between 2013 and 2016 tried to fill the gap left by the government funding by opening campuses all over the place in towns in Kenya, sometimes next to pubs, strip club, and doomsday churches without taking care of the quality teaching and learning(Sunday Nation, March 11,2018). The opening of the campuses by universities gave other universities impetus to open so that to make money. According to Prof. Maloba Wekesa “the competition to open campuses and village shoeshine Universities is never about excellence, most of those colleges are just income-generation projects and degree mill centers especially for politicians” (Sunday Nation, March 11,2018),and an avenue for the university managers to build estates and a source of employing their family members and relatives. Therefore the universities adopted neoliberal policies that view everything in terms of profits have hit the universities where it hurts, and now the universities are considered of no significance in terms of employing the graduates churned by such institutions.
It is noted that “Academics have bought into the lie that the way to run universities efficiently is to run them as profit-making business, but education is totally different kind of organization where people invest in people, thus the teaching staffs in universities are accountable for the people they teach and the people of the society. The high standards have been set in primary and secondary school examinations, by the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Education.. Therefore, the university senates are urged to emulate efforts made in elevating credibility of examinations in basic education institutions. It is important to note: how can those students come to universities to get lower examination standards? The senates as custodian of education standards in universities must make the lead role in ensuring examinations are credible and students get marks they deserve (Sunday Standard, November 26th, 2017).
According to Prof. Amutabi, “Some universities have established ethno-centralism culture where some people think universities belong to them because they bear their ethnic name or located in their counties” (Sunday Nation, March 11,2018), and continue to compromise the quality and standards of education because they are packed by the regime ruling the country. This is because, intellectuals who claim to be neutral towards each regime, sell themselves cheap to every regime that comes to power and support every status quo. Some were happy to support the status quo for the sake of careers and privileges that go with those institutional positions (Ochola, 2007:106).
As Ochola argues “the African intellectuals themselves must have also bear a great share of the blame and responsibility for the present deteriorating situation” (Ochola,2007:106), because the cohort of part-time lecturers are unpaid for long periods of time at least three years which is dangerous for the quality services offered to the learners in such institutions. Okebiro argues “the excellent In-put from a lecturer reflect excellent out-put of the students through competence in the labour market” (Okebiro, 2014). According to Okebiro (2014), the university management has unfair academic treatment of associate lecturers/part time lecturers as regards to borrowing textbooks from library, payments and other benefits in the university. Part time lecturers are core and key in the teaching pillar in universities and if they cannot be treated well, they would equally offer poor services and as a consequence compromise the standards of education, which is a source of sustainable university education and societal empowerment.
Methodology
The paper employed a survey method and data collected through questionnaires from students in satellite campuses in Kitale, Eldoret and Nakuru towns through simple random sampling. The research paper target a population of 500 and 30% sample size. The study used a survey research design on the satellite campuses in Kitale town. Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) noted that surveys are the excellent vehicles for the measurement of characteristics of large population. The design was appropriate because it helped the researcher to obtain information that describes phenomenon by asking individual students and lecturers about their perceptions, attitudes, behaviour or values related to the quality and standard of education in the campus. This study used a research method where descriptive statistics were employed in analyzing the data through percentage in tables. Data was collected from 150 students and 422 lecturers both full time and part time. The questionnaires are attached in appendix I and II.
Results
The study investigated whether the satellite campuses offer courses with quality and standards. The respondents’ views on quality and standards of education were investigated using Likert-scaled questionnaires administered to both the students and lecturers. Data was analyzed and interpreted as illustrated in table 1.
Table 1: Descriptive Statistics and Views of students on standard and quality of education in campus
| Item | SA | A | U | D | SD | Mean | Std. Dev. |
| There are enough qualified part time lecturers teaching course units | 53 (33.8%) | 64 (40.8%) | 14 (8.9%) | 21 (13.4%) | 5 (3.2%) | 3.89 | 1.11 |
| There is enough lecture theatres for teaching or lecturing | 53 (33.8%) | 79 (50.8%) | 13 (8.3%) | 10 (6.4%) | 2 (1.3%) | 4.09 | 0.88 |
| There are no text books for reference in every course unit | 53 (33.8%) | 71 (45.2%) | 20 (12.7%) | 10 (6.4%) | 3 (1.9%) | 4.03 | 0.94 |
| Lecturers attend lectures at the appropriate time for lecturing always | 30 (19.1%) | 61 (38.9%) | 38 (24.2%) | 21 (13.4%) | 7 (4.5%) | 3.55 | 1.08 |
| The lecture theatres are NOT free from noise pollution in the campus | 58 (36.9%) | 72 (45.9%) | 14 (8.9%) | 10 (6.4%) | 3 (1.9%) | 4.10 | 0.94 |
| The lecturers cover the course content in the course outline in the right time | 69 (43.9%) | 65 (41.4%) | 12 (7.6%) | 7 (4.5%) | 4 (2.5%) | 4.20 | 0.94 |
| The lecturers DO NOT administer two Continuous Assessment Test(CATs) | 96 (61.1%) | 47 (29.9%) | 7 (4.5%) | 6 (3.8%) | 1 (0.6%) | 4.47 | 0.80 |
| The campus DOES NOT offer sciences courses because there are no laboratories for practical tests | 67 (42.7%) | 57 (36.3%) | 12 (7.6%) | 17 (10.8%) | 4 (2.5%) | 4.06 | 1.08 |
| The lecturers mark continuous assessment tests(CATs) and assignments on time and return the marked scripts to the students | 49 (31.2%) | 75 (47.8%) | 19 (12.1%) | 9 (5.7%) | 5 (3.2%) | 3.98 | 0.97 |
|
Students are less than fifteen in course units |
41 (26.1%) | 52 (33.1%) | 26 (16.6%) | 25 (15.9%) | 13 (8.3%) | 3.54 | 1.25 |
Key: SA-Strongly Agree, A-Agree, U-Undecided, D-Disagree, SD-Strongly Disagree and Std. Dev.-Standard Deviation
There are enough qualified part time lecturers teaching course units in this sense the respondents give the following information: 64 (40.8%) of the students agreed, 53 (33.8%) strongly Agree that there are enough qualified part time lecturers. 21 (13.4%) of the respondents disagree and 5 (3.2%) strongly disagree while 14 (8.9%) were Undecided. This means the education is not treated as a “public good” and a profit-making venture, the university management and stakeholders will use different approach where the bigger-size classes taught by part-time lecturers to avoiding spending money on faculty stability and quality education. The cohort of part-time lecturers are unpaid for long periods of time at least three years which is dangerous for the quality services offered to the learners in such institutions. There is enough lecture theatres for teaching or lecturing 79 (50.8%) agree and 79 (50.8%) strongly disagree. 10 (6.4%) disagree and 2 (1.3%) strongly disagree and 13 (8.3%) undecided. A mean of 4.09 and the standard deviation of 0.88.This imply students enjoy the teaching and learning.
There are no text books for reference in every course unit 71 (45.2%) agree and 53 (33.8%) strongly disagree. 10 (6.4%) disagree and 3 (1.9%) strongly disagree and 20 (12.7%) undecided, a mean of 4.03 and standard deviation of 0.94.This indicates that satellite campuses are ill equipped with text books for reference. This makes students to be unable to do research for assignments and writing researched term papers. Lecturers attend lectures at the appropriate time for lecturing always: 61 (38.9%) agree and 38 (24.2%) undecided 30 (19.1%) strongly agree and 21 (13.4%) disagree and 7 (4.5%) strongly disagree and a mean of 3.55and standard deviation of 1.08.it shows that lecturers work effectively but the management fail to pay their dues in the right time. The lecture theatres are NOT free from noise pollution in the campus: 72 (45.9%) agree and 58 (36.9%) strongly agree whereas 14 (8.9%) are undecided and 10 (6.4%) disagree and 3 (1.9%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.10 and standard deviation of 0.94.this indicates that the satellite campuses are located where there is noise from the strip clubs, pubs and welding workshops.
The lecturers cover the course content in the course outline in the right time: 69 (43.9%) strongly agree and 65 (41.4%) agree, 12 (7.6%) undecided and 21 (13.4%) disagree and 4(2.5%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.20 and standard deviation of 0.94. The lecturers DO NOT administer two Continuous Assessment Test (CATs): 96 (61.1%) strongly agree, 47 (29.9%) agree and 7 (4.5%) undecided whereas 6 (3.8%) disagree and 1 (0.6%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.47 and standard deviation of 0.08.This illustrates the fact that most of the part time lecturers DON’T have time to administer CATs instead they prefer giving assignments and take away cats which are lecturer-student friendly. The campus DOES NOT offer sciences courses because there are no laboratories for practical tests: 67 (42.7%) strongly agree and 57 (36.3%) agree and 17 (10.8%) disagree and 12 (7.6%) undecided and 4 (2.5%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.06 and standard deviation of 1.08.This indicates that the satellite campuses are for profit marking courses which do not need practical especially physics, chemistry and biology courses. Those undecided and disagree and strongly disagree are the ones who apply and promised that the courses are going to be offered soon.
The lecturers mark continuous assessment tests (CATs) and assignments on time and return the marked scripts to the students: 75 (47.8%) agree, 49 (31.2%) strongly agree, and 19 (12.1%) undecided whereas 9 (5.7%) disagree and 5 (3.2%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.98 and standard deviation of 0.97.This shows that most lecturers are committed to their work and it is the university management which frustrates them through non payment for a long period of time.
Students are less than fifteen in course units: 52 (33.1%) agree and 41 (26.1%) strongly agree and 26 (16.6%) undecided, whereas 25 (15.9%) disagree and 13 (8.3%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.54 and standard deviation of 1.25.This indicates there poor enrollment of students into satellite campuses and making the management unable the pay the rental pills. The universities across the world are allowed to set the standards regarding the students to be admitted into the university. The Kenyan government requires all universities including private ones to admit only students with a mean score of C+ and above in high school. In this sense only 15 per cent of KCSE candidate attained the cut-off score last year. The number is just enough slot in public universities, leaving private universities and income-generating streams in public universities without prospective students (Sunday Nation, March 11,2018).With dwindling enrolment numbers of students, it is very difficult for these universities to remain afloat.
The key results shows that there is poor standards in satellite campuses because part time lecturers are not paid on time and wait for three years and lead to de-motivation as a consequence of poor teaching and supervision of students. Some lecturers do not submit the marked scripts and the management manipulate grades for students to graduate. There is insufficient and dilapidated infrastructure, boated enrolment, nepotism, tribalism and poor quality education offered in satellite campuses. According to Professor Indiatsi Nasibi,”as an employer of university trained people, the federation doubts out that our academic institutions have devolved with campuses on every street and corridor, whose focus is not accumulation of intellectual capacity, but a search for money and profitability. It is true that universities have become oblivious to the law of diminishing utility. They are oblivious of the volume of scripts the staff who are underpaid, can mark effectively” (Daily Nation, May 19th, 2013).
Table 2 gives the analysis of the data and the interpretation as follows; There are NO payments on the right time: 85 (32.1%) strongly agree and 82 (30.9%)Agree and 47 (17.7%) disagree and 26 (9.8%) undecided whereas 25 (9.4%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.60 and standard deviation of 1.33.which illustrates that the lecturers take a long time to be paid their money and given that universities nowadays use different modes of determining payments, lecturers use their saved money until the universities becomes source of poverty instead of becoming source for unemployed part time lecturers. There is high coverage of the course content in the right time: 127 (47.9%) agree and 79 (29.8%) Strongly agree and 30 (11.3%) disagree, 17 (6.4%) undecided and 12 (4.5%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.90 and standard deviation of 1.06.This shows that the lecturers are prepared to teach the students in satellite campuses.
You feel demotivated due to Nonpayment: 120 (45.3%) agree, 84 (31.7%) strongly agree, and 25 (9.4%) Undecided and 21 (7.9%) disagree and 15 (5.7%) strongly disagree , a mean of 3.94 and standard deviation 1.05.This indicates that most of the lecturers are demotivated when unpaid and cannot give qualitative services because of hunger. There NO text books for reference in some course units: 80 (30.2%) agree and 56 (21.1%) strongly agree, 53 (20.0%) undecided, 46 (17.4%) disagree and 30 (11.3%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.40 and standard deviation of 1.23.This illustrates that there are no test books in the library and this leads to poor research and students are depressed because unfounded materials and relies on goggling notes from the internet. Lecturers have NO lecturers parlor for preparation: 109 (41.1%) agree, 91 (34.3%) strongly agree, 28 (10.6%) undecided, 22 (8.3%) disagree and 15 (5.7%),a mean of 3.93 and standard deviation of 1.10.This shows that lecturers do not prepare adequately before going to lecturer. some lecturers prepare from corridors in satellite campuses or from the public vehicles before highlighting.
Lecturers DO NOT assess learners in Teaching Practice (TP) and attachment assessments for students in education and social sciences: 139 (52.5%) agree, 98 (37.0%) strongly agree, 11 (4.2%) undecided, 9 (3.4%) disagree and 8 (3.0%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.20 and standard deviation of 0.84. This illustrates that teaching professionalism is not followed. The assessors who assess students are different, compromising the quality and standard of teaching practice. A teacher trainee is supposed to be assessed three times by the lecturer who taught general methods of teaching and two lecturers taught the major and minor subjects of specialization for the teacher trainee.
Table 2: Descriptive Statistics and Views of lecturers on the quality and standard of education in the campus
| Item | SA | A | U | D | SD | Mean | Std. Dev. |
| There are NO payments on the right time | 85 (32.1%) | 82 (30.9%) | 26 (9.8%) | 47 (17.7%) | 25 (9.4%) | 3.60 | 1.33 |
| There is high coverage of the course content in the right time | 79 (29.8%) | 127 (47.9%) | 17 (6.4%) | 30 (11.3%) | 12 (4.5%) | 3.90 | 1.06 |
| You feel demotivated due to Non payment | 84 (31.7%) | 120 (45.3%) | 25 (9.4%) | 21 (7.9%) | 15 (5.7%) | 3.94 | 1.05 |
| There NO text books for reference in some course units | 56 (21.1%) | 80 (30.2%) | 53 (20.0%) | 46 (17.4%) | 30 (11.3%) | 3.40 | 1.23 |
| Lecturers have NO lecturers parlor for preparation | 91 (34.3%) | 109 (41.1%) | 28 (10.6%) | 22 (8.3%) | 15 (5.7%) | 3.93 | 1.10 |
| Lecturers DO NOT assess learners in Teaching Practice(TP) and attachment assessments for students in education and social sciences respectively |
98 (37.0%) |
139 (52.5%) | 11 (4.2%) | 9 (3.4%) | 8 (3.0%) | 4.20 | 0.84 |
|
Lecturers mark the examinations and return the scripts with mark sheets |
138 (52.1%) | 100 (37.7%) | 14 (5.3%) | 9 (3.4%) | 4 (1.5%) | 4.37 | 0.82 |
|
There is noise pollution from outside the surrounding environment in the campus |
139 (52.5%) | 86 (32.5%) | 15 (5.7%) | 17 (6.4%) | 8 (3.0%) | 4.29 | 0.95 |
|
The students have No sports grounds for games |
92 (34.7%) | 106 (40.0%) | 29 (10.9%) | 26 (9.8%) | 12 (4.5%) | 3.92 | 1.10 |
| Students attend the lectures regularly | 62 (23.4%) | 112 (42.3%) | 57 (21.5%) | 14 (5.3%) | 20 (7.5%) | 3.71 | 1.08 |
Key: SA-Strongly Agree, A-Agree, U-Undecided, D-Disagree, SD-Strongly Disagree and Std. Dev.-Standard Deviation
Lecturers mark the examinations and return the scripts with mark sheets: 138 (52.1%) strongly agree, 100 (37.7%) agree, 14 (5.3%) undecided, 9 (3.4%) disagree and 4 (1.5%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.37 and standard deviation of 0.82.This indicates that the lecturers express professionalism in their work. There is noise pollution from outside the surrounding environment in the campus: 139 (52.5%) strongly agree, 86 (32.5%) agree, 17 (6.4%) disagree, 15 (5.7%) undecided, and 8 (3.0%) strongly disagree, a mean of 4.29 and standard deviation of 0.95.This indicates that the satellite campuses are located in environment not good for learning and teaching as a results compromise quality of education offered to students. The students have No sports grounds for games: 106 (40.0%) agree, 92 (34.7%) strongly agree, 29 (10.9%) undecided, 26 (9.8%) disagree and 12 (4.5%) strongly disagree, a mean of 3.92 and standard deviation of 1.10.This shows that the students cannot train in the affective and psychomotor domains in the satellite campuses. This true because the campuses are located in storey floor of storey building were sports grounds cannot be constructed except the indoor games.
Students attend the lectures regularly: 112 (42.3%) agree, 62 (23.4%) strongly agree, 57 (21.5%) undecided, 20 (7.5%) strongly disagree and 14 (5.3%) disagree, a mean of 3.71 and standard deviation of 1.08.This illustrates that students are seriously yearning for standard education in universities. There is evidence showing poor quality and substandard education in Kenyan universities. Recently the university students testified to the cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Education that they are half baked. They accuse universities of not assigning competent lecturers to teach and poor training acquired from universities as a consequence lack jobs in the labour market (Standard Digital Monday March 19Th, 2018).
Conclusion
Most experts were interviewed noted that the main problem facing Kenyan universities is the mushrooming of substandard campuses. Also the rapid expansion of universities to cater for rising demand for degrees from the seven public universities in 2012 to 33 in 2018, it is concluded the quality of teaching and research has sunk to the lowest ebb and as consequence there a mismatch of the skills acquired and the employment. It is concluded the emergency of university satellite campuses has led to poor quality and standards in universities leading to half-baked and unemployable graduates though having attractive grades. The sites for such satellite campuses are not welcoming environment which students require for learning. They are located in the midst of the town centers where business is conducted and there is noise pollution. The library in such campuses is not equipped with the necessary books for reference in the courses taught or offered in the schools. Thus it becomes difficult for students to research and write adequate and conclusive term papers.
If the only reason for the existence of a university programme is pegged purely on vagaries of the industry, then it is most likely a lollipop degree. In essence a university education is not reducible to industry, but designed to churned intelligent brains to help solve complex problems occurring in the society. Universities are not designed to be the uncritical conveyor belts of industry trends. As the cooperation or linkage between the two must be encouraged and pursued, as both will be guided by different logics for sustainable development and economic growth in Kenya. Many of the lecturers are not qualified to teach in the university, according to commission for university Education (CHE) requirements and many are part time lecturers who are not paid on time and on the course of handling the units some drop and leave students frustrated. Usually the units are not covered extensively and intensively to cover the content required. Okebiro (2016) argues that “Education should be about producing a complete, well-rounded whole person, not just passing examinations”. It should also inculcate personal skills and skills that will be useful in the job and business world (Kigotho, 2009). According to the chief executive Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), Connotes “We are now being forced to ask applicants for their secondary education certificates with the university degree coming in second,” because “The degree is no longer a reliable measure of a job-seekers ability as certain universities are churning doubtful graduates,” the faltering quality of learning is forcing employers to reject graduates from some universities (Business Daily, 2015).
The democratization of schools should not be confused with the politicization of education. This is the only way in which our institutions of learning will be able to take the moral high ground, from which to pass the same values to society and insist that our politicians do the same. It is this role that our schools, training institutions and universities should play (Ochola, 2007:106-107). When the governments reduce the funding the public universities which offer higher education, it has the following implications: one, performance contracting, replacing the collaborative nature of work that is collegiality and peer review with competition. Two, the measurement and evaluation of the success of the university, should be done, not by student’s enrolment, education and innovation, but by the balance sheet and real estate. Three, people are no longer interested in research but in donor funding; in some universities, donor funding is considered a major pillar of income generation. Four, generation of profit means use short cuts in education, where there are bigger-size classes taught by adjunct faculty lecturers to avoid spending money on faculty stability and quality education. Five, universities are dealing with the same dysfunctional politics as the rest of the country; promotions of faculty and graduate studies have become about ego and status rather than quality work.
The report dubbed “Transforming university Education in Africa: Lessons from Kenya” indicates that Kenyan universities require 10,000 PhDs .in some academic programmes, one lecturer teaches an average of up to 200 students against the internationally recommended 30.In most universities one professor handles up to 98 students thus compromising quality in the sense that there is no time for preparation and taking care of individual cases of students efficiently and effectively. Therefore, the resultant capacity deficit means that quality of education is affected (Standard Digital Monday March 19Th, 2018).
Recommendations
The research paper recommends innovate approaches should be used for education reforms and restructuring be done in satellite campuses for sustainable education development inline with vision 2030.It recommends two innovative approaches one indirect and two direct approaches. In the indirect approach, it is recommended return to conviction about education as a public good. First, People (stakeholders) need university leadership that believes that education is a public good and insists on it in order to resist corporatization of higher education and the implications for quality of education and research, and the better treatment of teaching staff. Second, It recommended citizenship calling for better management of public resources so that universities can be properly funded and be free for students to study without payments.
Faculty should find themselves voicing and defending education as a public good and the right of students to be offered quality and standard education in universities. The satellite campuses should be allowed to operate if they have enough and full time qualified teaching staff and finances, and enough teaching and not teaching facilities, without which standards of higher education will remain poor in Kenya. Reforms in higher education sector are urgently needed focusing on quality training and quality of education while increasing enrolment for the improvement of national development (Daily Nation, 2010).
In the direct approach, it is recommended that higher quality education should train leadership on good governance practices. “The basic needs approach (BNA)”,which was used became widely agreed that economic growth took place in most developing countries seemed to go together with increase in absolute and relative poverty. In response to, a direct approach was required to deliver the welfare outcomes. The direct approach became to be known as the basic needs approach (BNA) which drew together theorists and practitioners from a range of nations, academic centers and institutions of development (Stohr,1981). According to Escobar (1995),the influence of BNA had ‘vast array’ of programmes focused on households and covering aspects of health, education, farming and reproduction, practices, designed to create a minimum level of welfare for the weakest groups in society. There is need for a differentiation of institutions with some is specializing in good teaching, others in excellent research and still others providing education midway between research and teaching.
There should be radical changes in Kenya’s higher education institutions of learning, which have been put on the spot over quality education. It is recommended on the direct approach, that it is time for refreshing start in institutions of higher learning to hire best brains for improving quality of learning in Kenyan universities. It is recommended; the impending staff audit should be done and would unearth the nature of the staff teaching in the universities, the stakeholders want to know whether the staff is qualified to teach their students in universities and especially those who teach first years. it is recommended first, to abolish lollipop degree programmes, there must be boldness and intellectual honesty by leaders, because degrees represent and mask peculiar kind of “Kenyan” scholarship well entrenched and addressing the problem might be seen as fighting individual’s careers. Second, it is significant to rehabilitate the programmes into former disciplinary statuses-that means there will be a total overhaul of university programmes which started such degree programmes.
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