CUPA Targets To Place 800,000 KCSE Students To Colleges and Universities.
The establishment of a new private placement agency is causing consternation in the higher education sector, which has long been dominated by the government.
Only private institutions will be placed by the Colleges and Universities Placement Agency (CUPA).
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps), which places students in both public and private universities, appears to have been negatively impacted by the development.
The 831,015 candidates registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education will be available to the two agencies in a few months. Over 747,000 students took the exam last year.
Approximately 134,000 of these students were placed in universities, accounting for approximately 18% of the total candidacy.
Furthermore, 88,000 students (12%) were assigned to technical and vocational education and training (Tvet) institutions.
This means that approximately 525,000 students (70 percent) were denied admission to government institutions of higher learning.
The government is dealing with a double whammy this year, with the first batch of KCSE candidates taking the exam this month and an expected larger number taking the test at the end of the year.
This means that nearly two million students will graduate from secondary school this year, seeking more training.
According to previous data, approximately 1.2 million students are at risk of missing out on training opportunities in institutions of higher learning; however, in order to bridge the gap, the private placement agency has launched a campaign to assist students in securing places in private universities and colleges in Kenya and abroad.
CUPA Targets To Place 800,000 KCSE Students To Colleges and Universities
The agency has also launched a public awareness campaign among key stakeholders such as secondary school principals, career masters, and parents.
As a result, Kuccps has distanced itself from the outfit’s activities.
However, the agency stated that their work does not conflict with that of Kuccps because they only work with private institutions.
CUPA says it will offer a broader solution that complements what the government is doing. The agency noted that Kuccps places students in all public and some private universities, but when it comes to Tvets, Kuccps only focuses on public institutions.
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The 100% transition policy is expected to increase the number of secondary school dropouts even further.
CUPA says that over 7,000 students who qualified to join universities last year did not apply for a placement, while approximately 2,600 students who were selected to join public universities did not take up their places.
According to the Agency, factors such as the high cost of university education for students pursuing courses such as medicine, engineering, and law cause some students to drop out.
Medical students at the University of Nairobi pay about Sh3.8 million for the six-year course, slightly more than Sh1 million for law, and about Sh2.1 million for engineering.
Every year, the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) places approximately 30% of those who complete the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in public institutions.
The remaining 70% are forced to hustle in the hope of advancing to the next stage of their education. This void has now been filled by an organization that will assign them to institutions all over the world.
CUPA will provide KCSE students with study tips and career guidance in addition to placement.
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CUPA Targets To Place 800,000 KCSE Students To Colleges and Universities
