KNQA works with others to curb fake certifications
By Alice Kande, June 13, 2024The government has been at the forefront in getting a harmonised accreditation system. As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Education, through the Kenya National Qualification Authority (KNQA), and other stakeholders are working to develop a National Policy Framework for certifying qualifications.
Universities, technical colleges, professional bodies, curriculum developers, sub-sectors regulators and other have already reviewed the policy. It aims to harmonise all the entities involved in the accreditation system of national qualifications and is expected to foster a seamless accreditation value chain that ensures qualifications meet the highest quality standards.
KNQA assumes the overarching regulatory role in the qualifications system, bringing together institutions that award qualifications, both within and outside the education and training sectors.
It is important that all stakeholders are involved in order to ensure that the development process of a qualification and its regulatory channels are harmonised and clear.
KNQA’s role is akin to a nurturing parent, ensuring the well-being and harmonious development of all components within the qualifications ecosystem as it has to ensure that the policy document has the voice of wider stakeholders.
It is also important to note that reforms are underway in the education and training sector, including reviewing the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act and other related Acts, to streamline operations and eliminate overlapping mandates among regulatory bodies ensuring a seamless accreditation process.
In TVET, stakeholders across sectors are collaborating to harmonise National Occupational Standards to develop competency-based curricula aligned with industry demands.
Therefore, the policy framework aims to bring together all entities in the qualifications landscape in order to produce qualifications that meet industry needs and are nationally and internationally recognised.
KNQA is also keen to ensure that going forward, no certificate will be conferred without prior registration by the agency through the implementation of the Policy Framework for the Accreditation System on Qualifications. The accreditation system will govern the registration process for awarding institutions and their qualifications, and establish a comprehensive database of national qualifications to combat fraudulent certifications.
The recent launch of the Recognition of Prior Learning policy is a milestone towards promoting lifelong learning and adopting global best practices and therefore the finalisation of this policy framework will solidify KNQA’s commitment to upholding quality standards and eliminating fraudulent certificates.
KNQA was set up in 2015 to help coordinate and harmonise education, training, assessment and quality assurance of all qualifications awarded in Kenya with a view to improving quality and international comparability.
The authority developed and is now implementing the Kenya National Qualifications Framework. This is part of Kenya’s international commitments to develop an accurate, reliable and robust database of all qualifications in the country that will allow for comparability and information sharing in the education sector globally.
KNQA is grateful to the International Labour Organisation for providing support and guidance throughout this endeavour for this policy and others, including the Kenya credits and accumulation policy and quality assurance.
— The writer is the Director General of the Kenya National Qualifications Authority