Curriculum MOE adopts Recognition of Prior Learning policy
Kenya’s Ministry of Education has approved the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, which aims to recognize the talents of persons working in the informal sector despite a lack of official academic credentials.
This program, which will be administered by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), is due to go into effect next month and will benefit a wide range of people, including immigrants and refugees.
According to government statistics, 92% of Kenyan youth have acquired competences through various ways, both formal and informal, but lack official certification. After a brief training period, this strategy will grant recognition and certifications to skilled employees in the informal economy.
According to Alice Kande, Acting Director-General of KNQA, RPL is part of the government’s bottom-up program, which aims to empower hustlers and offer them with opportunity to acquire government employment and contracts. She made these remarks at a news conference held at the Eserian Hotel in Naivasha following a policy validation exercise.
Kande further underlined that the confirmation of the updated policy indicates the government’s commitment to excellence and dedication to bettering society. The goal of the policy is to incorporate previously unarticulated, tested, and certified abilities and competencies into the national credentials database.
The policy’s delayed launch, according to Stanley Maindi, Director of Technical Services at KNQA, is due to its alignment with the bottom-up agenda. Given recent technological breakthroughs and changing economic paradigms, he emphasized that the strategy will increase job prospects and keep Kenya competitive on the global scene.
The Chairperson of the KNQA Council, Stanley Kiptis, indicated that the RPL policy framework will successfully satisfy the demands of Kenyans, particularly those in the informal sector. He highlighted that this framework is more than just a collection of principles; it is a commitment to a more equal and prosperous future for students and workers, with strong backing from the Ministry of Education.