By Onex Opati
Never has the academic qualifications of politicians received more attention than they have in 2022. As a people, we take in what politicians give us with a pinch of salt, and that includes their self-proclaimed academic achievements. That they could study in far flung corners of the world while still actively participating in local politics or holding positions of responsibilities, leaves very little to imagination. We all know that earning a degree is no child play; it often time feels like sheer drudgery. So, the trust deficit between the Kenyan politician and the populace seems to be justified and that is why, perhaps, out of abundance of caution, the Commission for University Education must ascertain that indeed one went to those far-flung institutions and earned their degrees. But I digress a little. In today’s piece, I intended to focus on the Diploma.
In the recent past, a debate on what a Diploma is has been gaining traction in social media discourse. So, what really is a Diploma? In Kenya, and most of the global South, we all know that a Diploma is a qualification usually associated with middle level tertiary institutions like medical training colleges, Technical Institutes, Polytechnics, to name a few. But elsewhere in academe, the word Diploma has a much broader meaning. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma for instance, is offered in high school in the final two years as a pre-university qualification. IBs in Kenya are offered by International Schools. In most of Europe, a Diploma refers to a document that is awarded by higher education institutions testifying that the Diploma holder has successfully completed their courses and has graduated. In this context therefore, a Diploma is simply a document certifying the award of a degree.
I must confess that when I received my Master’s degree certificate from the University of Oslo, I was more horrified than excited. The document was written on “Diploma”. Had I applied myself that much for two years only to end up with a Diploma when I had been admitted to do a Master’s degree? I also realized that the day I received my Diploma was the day I graduated! No fanfare, no graduation ceremony, no academic regalia! Just the Diploma…and some Salmon sandwiches!
