President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked universities to invest in research and training that support the Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum.
'The Competence Based Curriculum is a revolutionary step we took as a country to provide our learners with twenty-first-century practical skills relevant to the needs of the present world," the President said.
He spoke on Friday when he awarded a charter to the Aga Khan University-Kenya (AKU) in Nairobi.
Under the new the 2–6–3–3–3 education system, learners will spend two years in pre-primary education, six in primary, three in junior secondary, three in senior secondary school and another three in university.
With the new programme, Grades 7, 8 and 9 will be domiciled in secondary schools with more focus on child development – effectively bringing to an end the examination-based culture.
While in Aga Khan University, Uhuru also urged universities to concentrate on producing graduates who can tackle global challenges and make the world a better place.
The Head of State reminded Kenyan universities to ensure that they offer quality education.
"You must strive to remain compliant to both the programmatic and institutional standards set by our professional regulatory bodies such as the Commission for University Education," he said.
At the same time, the President directed regulatory institutions in the education sector to execute their mandate fully in order to ensure the quality of university education is not compromised.
"Regulatory standards are not mere exercises in box ticking. They are the lifeblood of a vital process that ensures that learning delivers tangible results for both the learner as well as the nation," he said.
On research, the President challenged universities to be at the forefront in providing solutions to emerging challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the event, President Kenyatta also inaugurated the Aga Khan University’s new Sh5 billion ultra-modern building.
The building will be the university’s main campus in Kenya, housing its graduate school of Media and Communications, Medical College, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Institute for Human Development as well as the Brain and Mind Institute among other programmes.
Present during the event were Education CS George Magoha, Commission for University Education (CUE) Chairman Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha, CUE Secretary Mwenda Ntarangwi as well as the Aga Khan University’s Vice Chancellor Firoz Rasul.
With the award of the charter, Aga Khan University becomes Kenya's 21st private chartered university.