Vice Chancellors (VCs) from various public universities in the country have now demanded the Commission for University Education (CUE) to give a clear indication of the required student-staff ratio.
The VCs through a report to the Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha cited that the guideline will create a uniform basis in terms of staffing across all the public universities.
According to a report by the Standard, some of the universities have suffered from inadequate staff which lowers down the quality of education offered.
The VCs also noted that staff expenses have emerged as a major problem in managing universities.
“Universities that on the average run programmes that depend considerably on equipment and laboratory facilities, will have a smaller percentage of their budget go to staff costs,” the report which will be forwarded to the Education CS read as quoted by the Standard.
A 2017 joint audit report also indicated that universities have an annual average of 27,750.27 staff.
“From this we note that on the average, the academic members of staff were just under 30 per cent, thus leaving some 70 per cent of the staff to compliment administrative, technical, and other general departments,” the report read.
The VCs defended their proposals claiming that it will help in reducing direct expenditure on labour at the universities