Alarm over massive TVET dropout as modularisation programme rolls out

Students in a computer lab at the Webuye West Technical and Vocational College, Machakha, Bungoma, May 30, 2024. /PCS

When Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stood at Chebisaas High School in Eldoret on January 9 to announce the 2025 KCSE examination results, it marked the start of the next phase of academic and career choices for nearly a million candidates.

Out of 993,226 students who sat the exams, only 270,715 — representing 27.18 per cent — attained the direct university entry grade of C+ and above.

"This is an improvement compared to 246,391 (25.53 per cent) in the 2024," Ogamba said.

The results left 722,511 candidates seeking alternative pathways for tertiary education, with the majority expected to enrol in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

The group includes 236,416 candidates who scored C-, 126,951 who obtained D+, and 359,144 who recorded D- and below.

For years, TVETs have served as a critical safety net, offering practical, skills-based training designed to improve employability and support self-employment.

Government-backed financing through Helb loans and scholarships has helped thousands of learners from low-income families continue their education.

Support is allocated through a means-tested system that places students into five financial-need bands, with those categorised as "Vulnerable & Extremely Needy" receiving the highest level of assistance.

However, that pathway now appears under strain following the introduction of programme modularisation.

Under the new system, long-term courses are broken into smaller, independent modules, each focused on specific competencies.

Learners complete and certify one module before progressing to the next, a model intended to speed up skills acquisition and entry into the job market.

But the policy, introduced by TVET Principal Secretary Esther Mworia, has also reduced the duration of some diploma programmes that traditionally ran for two to three years to just one year.

The changes have drawn sharp criticism from the Kenya Union of Technical and Vocational Education Trainers (KUTVET), which argues the compressed structure is contributing to rising dropout rates.

Union officials led by secretary general Kepher Oguwi say the restructuring has congested learning schedules and removed the flexibility that previously allowed students to pay fees in phases.

Trainers warn that many students from financially strained households are unable to raise lump-sum fees, forcing them to abandon their studies midway.

"It was not properly implemented because we noted there was no proper public participation and there was no piloting," he said during a press conference on Wednesday.

He said wider consultations could have helped identify gaps and correct them before the nationwide rollout.

"It has only three months for each module for a candidate to sit for an exam. We have realised it's very challenging because learning activities in most of the colleges are normally disrupted because there are so many activities and consequently, the learners don't have adequate time to prepare for the exams," he said.

TVET programmes in Kenya typically run between six months and three years, depending on the qualification level.

Artisan and craft certificates take up to two years, while diploma courses commonly last two to three years.

Following the modular format, institutions are now shifting to shorter, competency-based formats lasting between three and six months.

As enrolments rise amid limited university slots, trainers warn that unless the financial and structural pressures are addressed, the very reforms meant to widen access to skills training could end up pushing thousands out of the system.

"You know during piloting, pros and cons can be addressed at that stage. Those are some of the gaps which we have seen, which is now making it very difficult to be implemented effectively," Oguwi said.