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NAIROBI, Jul 11 (IPS) – East African worldwide college students may quickly simply examine in neighbouring nations after the Intergovernmental Authority on Improvement (IGAD) proposed a brand new qualification framework to mitigate the difficulties confronted when in search of schooling throughout borders.
IGAD has, over the previous yr, been conducting a sequence of seminars and workshops geared toward discovering an answer to the issues confronted by foreigners and refugees trying to proceed with their schooling and employability in overseas lands.
Throughout the 3rd IGAD convention held in Nairobi, Kenya, in March final yr, it was agreed that its member states wanted to develop a harmonised qualification framework that might permit their college students to cross borders in quest of work and schooling simply.
The IGAD member states embrace Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Uganda, South Sudan and Eritrea.
Nations often have completely different schooling techniques and requirements, making it necessary for foreigners to show their {qualifications} earlier than becoming a member of any establishment.
Becoming a member of the next schooling establishment in Kenya calls for one to have attained sure set requirements from highschool, which on this case, is to have a imply grade of at the least a C+. Subsequently, a global pupil in search of to affix the identical establishment should present that they achieved a tutorial qualification from their nation equal to the Kenyan commonplace.
To do that, they have to undergo the Kenya Nationwide Qualification Authority (KNQA) and have their highschool grades transformed to confirm whether or not they meet the requirements.
Nonetheless, given the distinction in curriculum and schooling requirements for various nations, that is often a tedious course of for a lot of.
College students have complained of ready for months (and even years, in some circumstances) earlier than having their {qualifications} permitted to affix studying establishments. This has particularly been powerful on refugees from Somalia and South Sudan, whose schooling techniques are nonetheless unstable, making it tough for them to get high quality schooling in nations of their alternative.
South Sudan, as an example, has seen a lot of its residents stream into Kenya in quest of refuge and a recent begin to life. And as a consequence of their top, many Sudanese youngsters are wanted by basketball coaches in schools and universities who’re keen to supply them sport scholarship alternatives.
IPS spoke to James Mathiang throughout one among his basketball video games to grasp his transition course of as a foreigner attempting to additional his ambitions.
Mathiang is a refugee from South Sudan who had been supplied a sports activities scholarship by African Nazarene College (ANU) however is but to affix since he has not cleared the qualification course of.
“I got here to Kenya in 2021 with my household and presently dwell in one of many estates in Nairobi. Our nation remains to be dealing with civil unrest, and my mother and father felt it was clever for us to hunt refuge in Kenya, which additionally meant persevering with with our lives in a brand new nation,” Mathiang advised IPS.
“I play basketball and have a lot of my kinfolk who’ve been in Kenya for longer, who additionally play the game and have been in a position to introduce me to among the groups they play in.”
It was not lengthy earlier than one of many basketball scouts seen Mathiang’s potential and supplied to get him a scholarship in return for his skills. Mathiang is, nonetheless, but to profit from the deal because of the required qualification conversion course of.
“It has already been seven months since I used to be supplied the scholarship, however I’m but to grasp how the conversion course of works. I’ll have to take a seat for an additional qualification examination in Kenya since my papers should not recognised by KNQA,” Mathiang advised UWN.
In keeping with KNQA, the qualification is a deliberate mixture of studying outcomes with a particular objective and is meant to supply qualifying learners with utilized competence and a foundation for additional studying.
Becoming a member of a college in Kenya, requires one to have accomplished 4 years in highschool and attained a imply grade of at the least a C+.
This commonplace might differ in a rustic like Sudan or Uganda, the place college students should spend at the least six years in highschool earlier than becoming a member of a College. As such, a Kenyan going to Uganda in quest of increased schooling has to fulfill a normal equal to that of Uganda and vice versa.
Rollins Oduk, who has been on a basketball scholarship on the Uganda Martyr College, remembers the way it took him virtually two years to transform his secondary faculty certificates to fulfill the {qualifications} required by the Ugandan system.
“Since Uganda didn’t have a qualification system like Kenya, I had no alternative however to enrol into one among their secondary colleges and sit for recent exams in order that I could possibly be accepted by their increased schooling establishments. Within the meantime, I may nonetheless play for the College and get some monetary advantages as I waited. This can be a good transfer by IGAD, and it’ll assist lots of foreigners like me,” Oduk advised UWN.
In keeping with IGAD, solely one among its member states, Kenya, has a correctly functioning qualification system that permits foreigners to substantiate and convert their {qualifications} rapidly.
Dr Alice Kande, managing director, KNQA, defined that having a regional qualification framework would reduce college students’ obstacles when shifting throughout the member states in quest of schooling.
“KNQA is receiving so many overseas {qualifications} which are awarded with out a clear clarification on whether or not they’re accredited of their nations of origin, their requisite quantity of studying, the talents that they convey and their equivalence to native {qualifications},” Kande advised IPS.
“The authority performs an necessary position in guaranteeing that authenticity of overseas {qualifications} is ascertained; and that the nation solely accepts and recognises overseas {qualifications} that meet the nationwide commonplace. By doing this, we hope that college students get high quality coaching and schooling that equips them with the talents essential to work each regionally and internationally and that the nation as an entire solely accepts and recognises {qualifications} that meet the nationwide commonplace and protects the nation from faux and substandard {qualifications},” she added.
In keeping with Zetech College, it’s powerful for establishments to enrol worldwide college students because of the forms of particular authorities workplaces that frustrates the trouble of potential college students and the recruiting universities. There’s a disconnect that makes it mandatory for the involved workplaces to take a seat with the colleges and talk about a manner ahead.
“To hitch Zetech, overseas college students are anticipated to have a visa, a pupil move and the KNQA equation to get admission. It’s significantly tough for Somali college students due to the worry of terrorism; therefore the scholar move takes too lengthy to course of,” mentioned Dr Catherine Njoki, Liaison and Useful resource Mobilization Director Zetech College. A pupil’s move can take as much as eight months to a yr to amass, making some surrender fully on their schooling.
“The scholars are additionally required to equate their outcomes with the KNQA. This Authorities physique can be very sluggish of their service supply, and so they decline to assist the recruiting establishments with a basic guideline of how college students can get momentary admission as they await the affirmation. KNQA ought to change into a bit versatile with such data and likewise realise the nation wants the overseas alternate as a lot because the establishments want the scholars,” Njoki advised UWN.
KNQA, nonetheless, states that it ought to solely take two to eight weeks for an analysis course of to be concluded.
“In keeping with Kenya Nationwide {Qualifications} Authority, service constitution analysis of {qualifications} processing time is (14 -60) working days from receipt of an utility. That is counted from date of receipt of all related paperwork supplied by the candidates,” Kande defined.
The next are among the necessities that might be anticipated of somebody attempting to have his {qualifications} transformed:
(i) Licensed copy of every qualification certificates to be evaluated.
(ii) Licensed copy of official transcript of every qualification to
be evaluated.
(iii) Licensed copy of certificates and transcript of qualification previous the one
that has been submitted for analysis.
(iv) Licensed copy of Id Doc or beginning certificates for kids
beneath the age of 18 for residents or Passport for foreigners
(v) Translations (if relevant) along with the paperwork within the unique
language ready by a sworn translator.
Njoki added that IGAD ought to convey all stakeholders concerned to assist handle these points.
“I wish to proceed with my schooling by this sports activities scholarship, and if this harmonised system works, there are a lot of foreigners like me who’re going to profit from it,” Mathiang concluded.
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