Why low completion rate among PhD candidates should worry the State

The deterioration of the quality of education in the country should be a concern to those in power. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK   

By OTIENO PANYA More by this Author

The deterioration of the quality of education in the country should be a concern to...

those in power. Take the low completion rate among Master's and doctorate degree candidates in our learning institutions, for instance.

Studies indicate that most postgraduate students in Kenya are struggling to complete their studies, often taking longer than the stipulated time and at times dropping out silently out of frustration.

Although the national benchmark for doctoral completion rate is set at 20 percent for every group of students admitted at this level, only about 11 percent of students complete their studies within the stipulated period of three years.

There are a number of factors attributed to this including but not limited to inadequate support programmes and facilities in public universities, funding constraints, poor supervision, untimely feedback to students, uncoordinated irregular student-supervisor meetings and low level of qualified academic staff.

Best practice requires that research supervision, especially at the doctoral level, should aim at providing a transformative experience, designed to initiate regular consultations, clear-cut and appropriate feedback, a supportive and collegial relationship, and professional mentorship.

According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data, Kenya has seen an increase in university enrolment in the past 10 years, from about 178,000 students in the 2010-11 academic year to the current 563,000 students.

 This has put immense pressure on available doctoral graduates to supervise postgraduate candidates leading to low-quality research training in the country.

It is estimated that universities in Kenya require an average output of 2,400 PhDs per year in order to meet the targeted increase in the gross enrolment rate.

Currently, Kenya produces on average 230 doctorates annually against a target of at least 1,000 PhDs.

With this trend on, the country might not meet its target of having a large pool of highly qualified professionals in academia, research and other specialised sectors of the economy in accordance with the aims of Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s development plan.

The demand for PhD holders is thus increasing not only to meet the demand of the universities but also for its potential to stimulate national development, building a creative problem-solving human resource base and promote technological advancement.

The state must review the current university’s research teaching model to address this anomaly and benchmark with best practice and to remain competitive in the region.

The writer is a procurement and contract management consultant.