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NAIROBI, Jul 11 (IPS) – East African worldwide college students may quickly simply examine in neighbouring international locations after the Intergovernmental Authority on Growth (IGAD) proposed a brand new qualification framework to mitigate the difficulties confronted when looking for training throughout borders.
IGAD has, over the previous yr, been conducting a collection of seminars and workshops aimed toward discovering an answer to the issues confronted by foreigners and refugees trying to proceed with their training and employability in international lands.
In the course of the 3rd IGAD conference 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 training simply.
The IGAD member states embody Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Uganda, South Sudan and Eritrea.
Nations normally have completely different training techniques and requirements, making it necessary for foreigners to show their {qualifications} earlier than becoming a member of any establishment.
Becoming a member of a better training 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 world pupil looking for to hitch the identical establishment should present that they achieved an instructional qualification from their nation equal to the Kenyan normal.
To do that, they need to undergo the Kenya National 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 training requirements for various international locations, that is normally a tedious course of for a lot of.
College students have complained of ready for months (and even years, in some instances) earlier than having their {qualifications} accepted to hitch studying establishments. This has particularly been powerful on refugees from Somalia and South Sudan, whose training techniques are nonetheless unstable, making it tough for them to get high quality training in international locations of their selection.
South Sudan, as an example, has seen lots of its residents stream into Kenya in quest of refuge and a recent begin to life. And resulting from their peak, 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 in all 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 provided a sports activities scholarship by African Nazarene College (ANU) however is but to hitch since he has not cleared the qualification course of.
“I got here to Kenya in 2021 with my household and at present reside in one of many estates in Nairobi. Our nation continues to be going through civil unrest, and my dad and mom felt it was smart 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 lots 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 provided to get him a scholarship in return for his skills. Mathiang is, nonetheless, but to profit from the deal as a result of required qualification conversion course of.
“It has already been seven months since I used to be provided the scholarship, however I’m but to grasp how the conversion course of works. I’ll have to sit down for one more qualification examination in Kenya since my papers will not be recognised by KNQA,” Mathiang advised UWN.
In response to KNQA, the qualification is a deliberate mixture of studying outcomes with a particular goal 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 normal 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 training has to fulfill a typical equal to that of Uganda and vice versa.
Rollins Oduk, who has been on a basketball scholarship on the Uganda Martyr College, recollects the way it took him nearly 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 selection however to enrol into one in all their secondary colleges and sit for recent exams in order that I could possibly be accepted by their increased training 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 numerous foreigners like me,” Oduk advised UWN.
In response to IGAD, solely one in all its member states, Kenya, has a correctly functioning qualification system that allows foreigners to verify and convert their {qualifications} shortly.
Dr Alice Kande, managing director, KNQA, defined that having a regional qualification framework would reduce college students’ obstacles when transferring throughout the member states in quest of training.
“KNQA is receiving so many international {qualifications} which might be awarded with no clear clarification on whether or not they’re accredited of their international locations 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 vital function in making certain that authenticity of international {qualifications} is ascertained; and that the nation solely accepts and recognises international {qualifications} that meet the nationwide normal. By doing this, we hope that college students get high quality coaching and training that equips them with the talents essential to work each domestically and internationally and that the nation as a complete solely accepts and recognises {qualifications} that meet the nationwide normal and protects the nation from pretend and substandard {qualifications},” she added.
In response to Zetech College, it’s powerful for establishments to enrol worldwide college students as a result of paperwork of particular authorities workplaces that frustrates the trouble of potential college students and the recruiting universities. There’s a disconnect that makes it obligatory for the involved workplaces to sit down with the schools and focus on a manner ahead.
“To affix Zetech, international 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 coed move takes too lengthy to course of,” stated 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 accumulate, making some hand over solely on their training.
“The scholars are additionally required to equate their outcomes with the KNQA. This Authorities physique can also 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 of versatile with such info and in addition realise the nation wants the international trade 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 response to Kenya Nationwide {Qualifications} Authority, service constitution analysis of {qualifications} processing time is (14 -60) working days from receipt of an software. That is counted from date of receipt of all related paperwork offered 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 start certificates for youngsters
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 deliver all stakeholders concerned to assist handle these points.
“I want to proceed with my training by means of this sports activities scholarship, and if this harmonised system works, there are lots of foreigners like me who’re going to profit from it,” Mathiang concluded.
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© Inter Press Service (2023) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
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