Kenya University admissions 2011- Why do so many students want to pursue science courses.

The Kenya University admissions 2011 intake is currently ongoing as the Joint admissions board (JAB), just recently announced the cut-off points. The cut off points for the male students was set at 63 points while the cut off points for female students was set at 61 points.  The revision dates for the courses have already passed and many candidates are waiting to see which university and course they have been selected to pursue. From the many questions that we have been receiving on this site, it is clear that many students are intent on pursuing the science courses.

While the desire for the science courses cannot be underestimated in any way, the blind pursuit for the science courses spells a dangerous trend. True, the country needs to industrialize fast, even earlier than 2030 if possible. And surely, we need scientists and engineers to help implement this change and growth. However, we still need other professionals to help us develop holistically. For instance, social science professionals are needed so as to know which socio-economic problems people face, so that the scientists can then develop an appropriate solution.

However, at the moment, brilliant A students are being discouraged from pursuing such courses since as some would like to say, ‘the courses are beneath them’. One may get all the As in the result slip but end up making a poor engineer/doctor if they don’t have the personality trait to match the profession. For instance, if one likes staying in doors and does not like the site of wires or circuits, it is unlikely that they will make a very good electrical engineer. A former minister of higher education had the audacity to say that the government should withdraw funding for the arts courses. Even as the Kenya University admissions 2011 intake is currently ongoing, it would help that there are as many arts professionals as there are science professionals. For we all know that the purpose of art is to upset whereas the purpose of science is to reassure, and therein lies the value of each.
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Agony of being a regular student.

It is 9AM on a Thursday morning.It’s a packed lecture hall at the University of Nairobi. It’s one of those common unit lectures like communication skills where there are like a thousand students in a hall. The noise is deafening to say the least, as the students wander off into discussions on the latest political developments in the country, who is dating who in campus, and which student has an affair with a lecturer. Such a conversation wouldn’t have happened if today’s lecturer was on schedule. He hasn’t arrived yet and it’s one hour into the lesson, another student tells me. It’s a three hour lesson, so, we’ll wait for him for another thirty minutes and if he doesn’t show up, then we’ll have to call it a day and go back to our rooms. Sure, they wait for another thirty minutes, and then one by one, they start walking out. So, I ask one of the students, “Is this the way it has always been? I ask as we move along the corridors of the university. A student further behind interjects. Yes, it’s always like this. She tells me. We are regular students, and the lecturers are not bothered by our plight. They prefer to teach the parallel students, where they are assured of making much more money. Look even at the exams we do, she continues, they are way harder than the exams parallel degree students sit for.  Every semester, our worst nightmare is being called for resits and supplementary exams. The parallel students don’t have those kinds of worries. How can they when the universities know only too well that they are the cash cow. Look, when we strike, their studies go on uninterrupted, while ours comes to a stop all of a sudden. We believe we are punished for our success in high school, and it’s just not fair, she implodes.

Are star employees overrated?

The war for talent in Kenyan companies is increasingly getting nasty.

This is aptly captured in the media industry. I’m using the media industry as an example since those who work in the media are the most visible to the public. Take the wayCitizen TV poaches star TV presenters from NTV, KTN, KBCand other competing media houses. The employees are attracted by among other things the salary, the working conditions and the chance for career progression. However, all said and done, it is the salary that acts as the chief determinant to many employees switch of jobs. Now, how do the rest of the employees who were there previously feel when a new co worker and she is suddenly commanding a salary that is beyond imagination. Will this breed n fighting and untrustworthiness among the workforce?

In a department, would you rather have one star employee than 20 average workers? How much is the impact of a star programmer or accountant or journalist to the revenue base of the company. Let’s take the case of Kiss FM for example. According to a recent survey by Consumer Insight Africa, Caroline Mutoko is the most listened to radio presenter. And in a way, though one might not agree with her brush style of presenting, she definitely helps bring mega bucks to the Radio Africa stable, the parent company of Kiss FM. Her emotional connection to the brands that she does promote on her morning program makes many a marketing client want to sign up. However, what if she suddenly leaves Kiss 100, will the business model of Kiss survive. How then does a human resources department balance between having a star employee and ensuring that there is continuity even after a star employee exits. And believe me; a star worker will most times leave when the competitor offers tones of money. If you were not prepared as an employer, this may makes the whole business to be very vulnerable.
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