Progression of Engineering Profession and its Regulation

With the Proposed Basic Education System

1.0 Introduction
During the colonial period education was divided into: a) Primary education (8 years) i) Lower Primary standard I to IV (4 years), ii) Upper Primary standard V to VIII (4 years), b) Secondary Education (6 years) i) Secondary Form I to Form IV (4 years) ii) Secondary High School Form V to Form VI (2 years) c) University education First degree (3 years). In the 1960s after independence education was divided into: a) Primary education (the Lower and Upper were combined) standard I to VII (7 years) b) Secondary Education (6 years) i) Secondary Form I to Form IV (4 years) ii) Secondary High School Form V to Form VI (2 years) c) University education First degree (3 years). In the 1980s the education changed to 8-4-4 system as follows: a) Primary education standard I to VIII (8 years) b) Secondary Education Form I to Form IV (4 years) c) University education First degree (4 years).

2.0 Basic Education System (BES)

We have come of age, it time we did away with the KCPE examinations after standard VIII. In future (Maybe in four years time in 2018 or earlier), therefore, we should combine primary and secondary education to Basic Education and have only one examination Kenya Basic Education Certificate (KBEC). This means that there will be no national examination after eight (8) years i.e. the KCPE examination will be scrubbed and remain with only KCSE. In the future the education is likely to change to 12 - 4 systems as follows: a) Basic education Grade I to XII (12 years) b) University education First degree (4 years). And with the new Basic Education system the progression of Engineering Profession should take the format shown below:

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRESSION PhD/DSc/DTech (3 years)

MSc/MEng (2 years)

MTech (2 years)

BSc/BEng (4years) (Degree Course)

BTech (4 years) (Degree Course)

Diploma (2 years) (Technician Course)

Crafts Certificate (2 years) (Crafts Course)

Artisan (3 6 months) (Skills Training)

Basic Education (12 years)

3.0 Competence and Skills Training Courses

Competences courses will be developed for all levels except for Artisan level and Postgraduate levels. At the end of each course every student will undergo a competence course of about four (4) months and be examined for it i.e. every student at the end of any academic level will graduate with two certificates academic certificate and a competence certificate for that level. The academic certificates will be issued by the respective Universities in the case of Degree Courses, and by TVETA in the case of Technician/Diploma and Crafts Courses. Presently all degree (both BEng/BSc and BTech) courses, Technician/Diploma courses and Crafts Courses are in place; maybe they need a little revision and harmonization to conform with the new dispensation. The Competence courses will be the responsibility of National Industrial Training Authority (NITA). These courses will be conducted at the NITA centers or at the respective institutions if they have the necessary facilities and qualified personnel. NITA will be accrediting and inspecting the competence training units. NITA will also be responsible for the training of instructors for the various competence courses at all academic levels. Skills Training will be the responsibility of NITA; the artisans will be examined by trade testing and be issued will trade certificates by NITA. There are three trade test certificates GTT III, GTT II and GTT I; one will be issued with an Artisan Certificate after obtaining the final Government Trade Test (GTT) i.e. GTT I. The Artisan Certificate will be issued by NITA. [I am proposing the number of trade tests to be reduced to only one at the level of GTT I, so that at the end of the Skills Training Course the student will be examined and be issued with the Artisan Certificate after passing. This is because students will join the skills training courses after grade 12 which presently is referred as Form IV] In the new format those peoples who are presently holding GTT I should be issued the Artisan Certificate by NITA to enable them register with EBK.

4.0 Registration with the EBK

Once one has passed the two examinations the final academic course and the competence course one can register with EBK as a graduate member; graduate membership should last for only two years during which time the graduate member will be working under the supervision of a fully registered/corporate member either at the same level or higher level. After two year the graduate member should be fully registered as a full member at the appropriate level. Those who graduate with either Masters or Doctorate degrees should automatically registered as full/corporate members i.e. they do not need the two years experience before registration as corporate members. EBK should be amended to create five membership levels/grades as follows: a) Engineer b) Engineering Technologists c) Engineering Technician d) Engineering Crafts person e) Artisan (This is a form IV school leaver who trains on specialized skills for a period of 3 6 months; after training the person will do a trade test)

Appropriate examinations will be developed for those who want to move from one level to the next level. i) To move from artisan level to Crafts person level one will have to attend for a crafts course and sit for both the academic and competence examinations; if successful in all the two examinations registration will be immediate without waiting for the two years. ii) To move from Crafts person level to Technician level one has to join the Diploma course at the beginning of the first year i.e. a full diploma course of two (2) years. As in the case of the artisan after passing the two examinations, the candidate with be registered immediately. iii) To move from Technician level to Engineering Technologist level one has to join the BTech degree course at the beginning of the third year i.e. two (2) years course. As in the case of the artisan after passing the two examinations, the candidate with be registered immediately. iv) There will be two separate examinations set: one for Engineering technologists who want to have the engineers grade and another examination for Engineers who want to have the Engineering technologist grade. NB: The two years as a graduate member is only necessary for those without working experience. Apart from the artisan grade/level, there is no one who can be registered as a corporate member at any grade/level without an academic certificate, a competence certificate and two years working experience as a graduate member. Although artisans will be registered by EBK, they will be working under the supervision of any of the other professionals above them i.e. they will not be allowed to work on their own.

5.0 Transition Period

In the new education system Basic Education will be made compulsory i.e. students will have to finish at grade 12 or what we presently refer to as Form IV. The various professional grades described above are according to this new education system. However, most people who hold trade test certificates finished at end of the present primary education i.e. standard VII or VIII. For this category of people to enroll for Crafts Courses, they will have to have the final Basic Education (grade 12) certificate; accelerated program should be developed by the Ministry of Education similar to the Adult Education program for upgrading this category of people before enrolling for the Crafts Courses. . The other categories of people who need upgrading are holders of Higher Diploma Certificates; this categories need to upgrade to Bachelor of Technology Degrees. Already upgrading courses have been developed by the Technical University of Kenya (TU-K). Other categories of people do not need any changes to register with their respective grades/levels. Those engineers, technologists, technicians and crafts persons with the necessary academic qualifications and have worked for more than three years should exempted from the competence examinations i.e. they should be allowed to register with EBK immediately after confirming that they have the relevant experience. However, graduating students need to sit for competence examinations as outlined in section 3.0. Presently entry points after Form IV for the various courses are as follows: Degree courses minimum mean grade of C+; Technician Courses - minimum mean grade of C-; and Crafts Courses - minimum mean grade of D-. These minimum entry points will be maintained with the new Basic Education (BES); those students with grade E will enroll for Skills Training Courses. (The author is an Engineer, technical educationist, manager and University lecturer. I would like to get your views on this important issue for this beautiful country)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRESSION PATHWAYS

PhD/DSc/D.Tech
MSc/MEng MTech

MC Master Crafts Person GTT Government Trade Test

Professional Master Crafts Person

Postgrad Diploma

BSc/BEng

BTech

MC - I

DIPLOMA/TECHNICIAN

MC - II

CRAFTS PERSON

MC - III

ARTISAN

GTT - I

GTT - II

Basic Education
GTT - III

ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENTIAL PUBLIC

By Dr. Charles M.M. Ondieki; Tel: 0722705609/0772968753; Email: charlesondieki@gmail.com