European Journal of Education Studies
ISSN: 2501 - 1111
ISSN-L: 2501 - 1111
Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu
Volume 3 │Issue 10 │2017
doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1043444
INFLUENCE OF AWARENESS AND INSTITUTIONAL
ACCESSIBILITY ON THE CHOICE OF TRAINING BY STUDENTS IN
TECHNICAL INSTITUTES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN
BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA
Kupsoboi Psitet Wilberforcei
Post Graduate Researcher, School of Education,
Moi University, Kenya
Abstract:
In Kenya, TVET programmes in technical institutes of science and technology usually
target the population of students who do not progress to secondary school and higher
levels of education. However, while the number of students in schools continues to
increase due to population growth, the number of school leavers enrolling in technical
institutes of science and technology for various career courses has remained low over
the years. This paper is a report of a study whose objective was to determine whether
and how awareness and institutional accessibility influenced the choice of training by
students in technical institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County in Kenya.
The study was guided by social cognitive career theory of 1994 as posited by Lent,
Brown and Hackett. A mixed methods methodology and descriptive survey research
design guided the study. Purposive, stratified and simple random techniques were
employed to select the research sample. The sample comprised of students pursuing
Artisan Certificate and Diploma levels of training. A sample size of 291 students from a
population of 1124 was used. The data was collected using questionnaires whose
reliability and validity was tested and determined. Descriptive statistics was used in
data analysis with the help of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS)
programme. The results indicated that students were aware of TVET institutions but
were unaware of the courses offered and the entry requirements. These could be among
the factors contributing to low enrolment in TVET institutions in the region. Most of the
TVET institutions in Bungoma County were accessible by the students. The study
Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved.
© 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group
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recommended that the TVET institutions should advertise their courses more especially
by sending their brochures to primary and secondary schools.
Keywords: technical and vocational education and training; awareness; accessibility;
enrolment
1. Introduction
Technical and vocational education and training in Kenya has been receiving less
attention as observed by a number of researchers. This has been confirmed by the low
funding the institutions receive from both the government and the donor community.
As a result, technical and vocational training education has become very expensive and
unaffordable to many people especially the rural poor. This was ascertained by
Ngerechi, (2003) and Nyerere, (2009) whom separately observed that there was a
funding constraint that required solutions to increase access to the TIVET institutions.
Fluitman, (2005) argued that, Most TIVET institutions are located in the urban
areas and those found in the rural areas are far apart making them inaccessible to most
people. On the other hand, Afeti, (2009), observed that TVET is more expensive to
deliver as compared to other educational levels, particularly primary and secondary
education. He also found that, in many African countries, children of poor parents are
unable to afford the fees charged by the training institutions. This has limited access to
the TVET institutions.
Good decision making process relies on adequate information and effective
strategies for making choice. This could be one of the factors that have influenced the
choice of TVET choice by most of the students as observed by Borchert (2002). That is,
the level of awareness by the population on the existence of certain preferential courses
in these TVET institutions could be lacking therefore hindering decision making by the
students. This paper is a report of a study whose objective was to determine whether
and how awareness and institutional accessibility influenced the choice of training by
students in technical institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County in Kenya.
1.1 Background of the study
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is broadly defined as education
which is mainly to lead participants to acquire the practical skills, know-how and
understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation, trade or group of
occupation (Atchoarena, & Delluc, 2001). Such practical skills or knowhow can be
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provided in a wide range of settings by multiple providers both in the public and
private sector.
Recently, the government of Kenya elaborated a new development blue print,
the Vision 2030 that aims at making Kenya a newly industrializing middle income
country providing high quality of life for its citizens by the year 2030. This is in line
with the first Millennium Development Goal, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
This can be achieved through skill training which is critical for sustainable
industrialization and poverty reduction in terms of creating a mass of technical and
entrepreneurially qualified people, who are able to stimulate investment opportunities,
create jobs and increase productivity, GoK, (2007).
King and Palmer (2008) argued that there appear to be a renewed interest in
vocational education and training in developing countries in the last years. On the other
hand, the African Union [AU] (2007) observed that, there is a fresh awareness among
policy makers in many African countries and the international donor communities of
the critical role that TVET can play in national development.
Kenya Education Sector Support Programme [KESSP] 2005 – 2010 (GOK, 2005)
outlines three main objectives of TVET in Kenya :
(i)
Provide increased training opportunities for school leavers that will enable
them to be self-supporting;
(ii)
Develop practical skills and attitudes which will lead to income earning
activities in the urban and rural areas;
(iii)
Provide technical knowledge, vocational skills and attitudes necessary for
manpower development.
Achievement of these objectives can however be hampered by a number of
factors as observed by O’”rien
99 , that, every student carries the unique history of
their past and this determines how they view the world. That history created, in part by
the student’s environment, personality, and opportunity, will determine how students
make career choices. It then follows that how the student perceives their environment,
personality, and opportunity also will determine the career choices students make.
Venable, (2011) observed that career choices are not made based on one factor
but on many influences, that is, individual, cultural, social and environmental. She also
says that the combination and interaction of various influences on decision is unique to
trainees and their situation. Natallie, (2006) in a study on factors influencing career
choices of adolescents and young adults found out that young adults and adolescents
are faced with obstacles that deter them from implementing their future career choices.
In the study all youths voiced that the lack of financial resources to attend additional
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schooling or training, college acceptance and being capable of graduating as their major
barriers.
The Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training (TQET) report of the
commission of inquiry into the education system of Kenya (GOK, 1999), observed that,
although the 8-4-4- system of education introduced in 1987 was expected to encourage
orientation towards acquisition of technical skills, there was tendency to look down on
technical education. In all the districts visited by the commission, it was observed that
only those who could not make it to secondary school were admitted to technical
institutions while in North-Eastern Province technical education was regarded as being
for the tumal or lower classes, leading to poor enrolment.
The commission insisted that if Kenya is to move forward towards industrial and
technological development, one of the major challenges it to change this attitude so that
technical education becomes accepted as the tool that will enable Kenya to achieve
accelerated economic development through industrialization. However, while the
number of students in schools continues to increase due to high population growth rate,
the number of school leavers enrolling in youth polytechnics and institutes of
technology for various career courses is declining.
Ferej, Kitainge and Ooko (2012) observed that in Kenya the informal sector
provides training to more youth than all the formal systems combined together. This
thus calls for a study on factors influencing the choice of technical and vocational
training by students in institutes of science and technology in Kenya. In Kenya,
technical and vocational education training programs are offered in institutes of science
and technology, technical training institutes and youth polytechnics.
Due to this there is need to investigate the extent to which awareness and
institutional accessibility influence the choice of technical and vocational training
programs by students in institutes of science and technology in Kenya and this was the
purpose of this study.
2. Research Question
The Research Question that guided this paper was: To what extent does awareness and
institutional accessibility influence the choice of TVET in technical institutes of science
and technology in Bungoma County?
2.1 Statement of the Problem
According to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education, Science and
Technology sessional paper of 2012, the TVET sub-sector in Kenya has experienced
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moderate growth over the last 40 years. However, the sub-sector is yet to produce
adequate and skilled middle level human resource required to meet the demands for
national development. The Vision 2030 on the other hand placed special demands on
TVET as the leading engine that the economy must essentially rely upon to produce
adequate levels of middle level professionals that will be needed to drive the economy
towards the attainment of the vision. The vision 2030 intends to create a globally
competitive and adaptive human resource base to meet the requirements of a rapidly
industrializing economy. This is to be attained through life-long training and education.
This would be achieved through establishment of new technical training institutions, as
well as the enhancement of closer collaboration between industry and training
institutions. It proposes increasing the school enrolment rate to 95% and increasing the
transition rates to technical institutions and universities from 3% to 8% by 2012.
However, TVET sector is faced with a challenge of negative perception and poor
image which has accumulated over time and has been unattended. Sometimes, TVET is
seen as last choice form of education and not a preferred option in education and
training as observed by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology in Session paper of 2012.
Due to this, the researcher felt that it was timely to investigate the factors
influencing the choice of technical and vocational training by students in technical
institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County, Kenya. The researcher has
come across many students in the region who after graduating from secondary school
just remain at home or engage in other income generating activities without any
technical skills required for such activities. The researcher also conducted a survey on
the TVET institutions in Bungoma County and noted low enrolment in the institutions
despite having many facilities that would accommodate more students. This study thus
investigated whether and how awareness and institutional accessibility influenced the
choice of TVET in technical institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County?
2.2 Justification of the Study
The TVET philosophy is based on national development agenda and in particular,
Vision 2030. It is focused on providing skills that meet workplace needs as well as selfemployment. Tertiary education, including TVET, is premised on the principle
education and training for the workplace . TVET is therefore provided for the purpose
of guaranteeing human and economic development. The outcomes of TVET must
therefore be human resources fit for the job market. Vocational Education and Training
component is responsible for the production of skilled operators to service construction,
maintenance and operation of equipment and infrastructure. (GoK, 2012).
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Kenya on the other hand has a large cheap unskilled labour force as a result of
lack of education and training. This clearly shows that the role of TVET institutions in
offering skills and knowledge has not been keenly appreciated (Mureithi, 2009). TVET
programmes in Kenya targets to absorb the large proportions of students who cannot
progress to the secondary and higher levels of education. Out of the approximately
600,000 graduates of primary education, only 350,000 proceed to the secondary school.
At the end of secondary cycle, only 20,000 proceed to the university and the rest 200,000
are expected to be catered by the middle level colleges and TVET Institutions. In 2007,
the enrolment in TVET Institutions was 76,516 (Nyerere, 2009). Dahl (2003) and Simiyu
(2003) in their studies indicated that enrolment in TVET institutions was declining.
In 2010, 357,488 candidates sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
(KCSE) examination. Of this number, 97,137 obtained the minimum requirement for
University admission at C+. The public universities in that year admitted 32,000
students while the private universities admitted another 10,000 students. In 2011, the
enrolment in public TVET institutions was 60,000 with the annual intake being roughly
25,000. Other middle colleges in the public and private sectors are estimated to have
admitted another 75,000 students. Thus of the 357,488 KCSE candidates in 2010 only
142,000, or 40% could find opportunities for further or higher education. The rest
215,488 or 60% have to seek room in the existing structure to undertake formal training
or join the workforce. There is no doubt that this constitutes a huge loss to the national
economy (GoK, 2012). These arguments point to the need to investigate the extent to
which awareness and accessibility influence the choice of technical and vocational
training by students in technical institutes of science and technology in Kenya.
3. Theoretical Framework
The study was guided by Lent, ”rown and Hackett’s Social Cognitive Career Theory of
99 . The Social Cognitive Career Theory SCCT is a framework based on ”andura’s
(1986) social learning theory. The theory attempts to complement and build conceptual
linkages with existing career development theories. SCCT concepts are primarily
derived and adapted from ”andura’s social cognitive theory SCT . SCT is a learning
theory that emphasizes the role of a person’s cognitive processes and mechanisms in
guiding motivation and behavior. It proposes overt behavior is a byproduct of the
interchange between a person’s experience and self-system. However, experience is
formed through continual interaction with a surrounding environment. Environmental
information can be transmitted to an individual directly, vicariously, and/ symbolically.
Bandura emphasizes observation as a major source of environmental information. The
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environment in this case will be access to facilities, information, knowledge and persons
s/he will be interacting with. This theory was used to determine whether and how
awareness and accessibility influenced the choice of technical and vocational training by
students in technical institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County in Kenya.
3.1 Literature Review
In this section, is literature review on awareness of and accessibility of TVET in Kenya.
According to Nyerere (2009), the main objective of TVET is to improve access to goodquality vocational education. Ngerechi (2003) also posits that, among other aims of
TVET is the provision of increased training opportunities for the increasing school
leavers and continuous upgrading of skills and knowledge at the pace and ability of the
trainees.
In a study of factors influencing career choices, Natallie, (2006) found out that
most adolescents and young adults are faced with obstacles that deter them from
implementing their future career choices. In the study all youths voiced that the lack of
financial resources to attend additional schooling or training, college acceptance and
being capable of graduating as their major barriers.
Afeti, (2009), on comparison between primary and secondary levels of education,
found out that TVET is much more expensive to deliver. He also did found that, in
many African countries, children of poor parents are unable to afford the fees charged
by training institutions. From the findings, he did observe that, the good technical and
vocational schools are located in the big towns and cities, thereby limiting access to
rural folks.
Fluitman, (2005), observed that most of these institution are located in the urban
areas and those that are located in the rural areas are far apart making them inaccessible
to most people. Nyerere, (2009), and Ngerechi, (2003), also did concur with the
observation and concluded that, it was a constraint that needed solutions to increase
access without necessarily creating a multiplicity of TVET institutions.
Amuka (2011), on examination of effects of cost sharing policy on science and
technology education and training in Kenya established that there was curriculum
inflexibility due to cost implications. Some courses were too expensive for the students
to undertake. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Sessional paper No.1
of 2005, on policy framework for training and research, noted that the challenges facing
this sub-sector include; inadequate facilities and capacities to cater for those who
complete primary and secondary education and which undertake TIVET training. It
also observed that equipment and physical facilities used for training are inadequate,
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old and outdated. It also noted that most of the training reference materials and
textbooks are sourced from oversees, which make them costly hence unaffordable.
Mwiria (2005) also observed that the cost of teaching vocational subjects in
Kenya, with exception of business studies, has proved to be higher on average than that
of teaching all other subjects. From this, it can already be deduced that technical and
vocational education is quite expensive to be afforded by most people and in particular
the poor rural in Kenya. Most of them are also located away to be easily accessed by
most people. For instance in Mt. Elgon there is only two institutions offering technical
and vocational training which would make it difficult to access in terms of proximity.
Harl, (2009), in the study Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) and skills development for poverty reduction noted that there is a lack of tool
kits, modern machineries for demonstration and hands-on learning, local transport,
dormitories and hostels, not to mention cafeterias and child care for adult women. Even
when mobile training units exist, there are difficulties in moving them to remote rural
areas. He concluded that, without safe schools and training equipment, from desks to
labs and tool kits, the success of any learning activity cannot be ensured.
Borchert (2002), in his study on career choice factors of high school students,
noted that, for students to make good decision on career choices, they need adequate
information. This means that students must also be aware not only of the existence but
also the courses being offered and the entry requirements for them to make informed
decisions to enrolling into the technical and vocational training programs.
Despite the importance of TVET in a country’s economic and national
development, technical and vocational education and training in Kenya has been
receiving less attention as observed by a number of researchers. This has been
confirmed by the low funding the institutions receive from both the government and
the donor community. As a result, technical and vocational training education has
become very expensive and unaffordable to many people especially the rural poor.
Many donors currently channel the majority of their aid for education into
achieving the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and gender parity. For instance,
DFID allocates about 80% of its aid for education to basic and primary levels while
USAID allocated 72% of total education funding to basic education (King et al 2007).
The World ”ank’s position on TVET has changed radically in the past two decades.
Lending priorities shifted from TVET projects (nearly 30% of its total lending to the
education sector by late 1970s) to basic education -reducing the share of TVET in total
education sector lending to 5% by 1994 (Altinyelken, 2004).
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The governments and other stakeholders have engaged other development
partners in realizing donor interventions. The Ministry of Science and Technology in
Kenya formally requested for technical and financial assistance from the Netherlands
Government to strengthen TVET in the country. In view of this request the state agency
for International Business and Cooperation, and part of the Dutch Ministry of Economic
Affairs, awarded Devotra B.V. the assignment to execute a feasibility study under the
Dutch PESP Programme (Programme for Economic Co-operation Projects).
The African Development Bank (AFDB) Group in 2008 approved a 25 million
Units (equivalent to US$ 37.2 million) loan to Kenya to help finance a TVET Project in
the country. The programme aims at improving access, quality and relevant skills
development, the intervention will assist in the implementation of the KESSP-TIVET
Investment programme aimed at ensuring the development of a national skills training
strategy, enhancing transitions from primary and secondary to TIVET, establishment of
TIVET centers of excellence, skills enhancement for automation and computer
integration in industry, development of a bursary awards programme, creation of
industrial incubators and provision of equipment to polytechnics to enable them offer
degree-level courses.
Fluitman, (2005) observed that, the focus of UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) is on basic and especially primary education (MDG 1). This emphasis on the
first cycle of education contributes to the neglect of post-basic education and training
including technical and vocational education and training. Bennell (1999), found that
vocational education and training (VET) was largely absent in most governments and
donor poverty reduction strategies in developing countries. This marginalization of
VET is due to a lack of donor investment and inaction by many governments. While
there is a need to adjust development efforts and build the human assets and
capabilities of the poor, vocational education and training has been receiving less and
not more attention.
The constituency development funds in Kenya for instance have been directed to
funding of development of new primary schools and secondary schools. The funds
have also been used in the development of the existing primary and secondary schools.
Very little has however been set aside for the development of the existing polytechnics,
technical and vocational training institutes and non for creation and development of
new ones. This has made places unavailable for the form four graduates intending to
join them.
The enrolments in TVET institutions in Kenya have been low despite the
increased population of students graduating from both primary and secondary schools
in Kenya. There could be many reasons to explain this but from the literature reviewed,
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awareness of and accessibility of TVET could be contributing factors. This study thus
set out to investigate the influence of awareness and institutional accessibility on the
choice of training by students in technical institutes of science and technology in
Bungoma County in Kenya.
4. Research Design and Methodology
This study used a Mixed Methods research methodology and a descriptive survey
research design. The study was carried out in three TVET institutions in Bungoma
County. Of the three, one was an institute of science and technology and two were
technical institutes. Bungoma County was chosen because from observation, despite the
county having the two technical institutes and the one institute of science and
technology, the enrolment in the institutions is still low. Secondly, there are many
students who after graduating from secondary school just remain at home or engage in
other income generating activities without any technical skills required for such
activities. The two technical institutes and one institute of science and technology had a
population of 1124 students.
All the three institutions offering TVET in Bungoma County were used in the
study. Stratified and simple random sampling technique was used to select students
due to the different nature of courses offered and different admission requirements. The
stratum was based on course levels that are Artisan Certificate or Artisan Diploma.
From each stratum, a sample of students was selected through simple random sampling
method. A sample size of 291 students out of 1124 was used. These represented 26% of
the population.
The research utilized questionnaires for students for data collection. The
questionnaires were used to collect information on the extent to which awareness and
institutional accessibility influenced the student’s choice of technical and vocational
training in Bungoma County in Kenya. Out of the sample size of 291 students, 182
respondents returned their questionnaires. A test retest reliability estimation method
was used to determine the reliability coefficient of the questionnaires. The reliability
coefficient of the instruments was found to be 0.8. This was found to be adequate as
supported by Weiner (2007). The research instruments were also developed based on
the research purpose and objectives to ascertain validity.
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5. Results
This study investigated the influence of awareness and institutional accessibility on the
choice of training by students in technical institutes of science and technology in
Bungoma County in Kenya. This section presents the findings that were gathered.
5.1 Awareness of TVET by students prior to joining the training
The researcher attempted to get information on the extent to which the students were
aware of the courses offered and the entry requirements from the technical and
vocational training institutions prior to joining the institutions.
Most respondents were of the opinion that they were not aware of the courses
offered in technical institutes and institutes of science and technology; 31.3% said that
they were aware, 61.5% were not aware and 7.2% were neutral.
On entry requirements, most respondents were of the opinion that they were not
aware of the entry requirement prior to joining the training; 24.2% were aware, 66.5%
not aware and 9.3% neutral. This could be one of the factors causing low enrolment in
TVET programmes. This is in agreement with Borchert, (2002), who argues that
information is very vital in career choice decision making.
In addition, 64.8% of the respondents said that they were made aware of the
institutes by friends who had joined the institutions, 16.5% were made aware through
the mass media and 18.7% gave no response. This in agreement with Crosnoe et al,
(2003) who said that, friends and peers are potential sources of positive relations
towards education and job search.
5.2 Affordability of technical institution programmes by students
Majority of the respondents were satisfied with the affordability of the technical
institutions programmes at 56%, 13.2% indicated them being very affordable, 20.9%
indicated it being less affordable and 4.4% said the programmes are less affordable and
1.6% confirmed as not affordable at all. The results indicated that programs in technical
and vocational training institutions and institutes of science and technology are
affordable in Bungoma County.
These results contradicts Afeti, (2009), who had observed that, as compared to
other levels of education, that is primary and secondary, TVET was much more
expensive to deliver and that children of the poor parents are unable to afford the fees.
Mwiria, (2005) and Amuka, (2011), also made the same observation that TVET is much
expensive and unaffordable to many. The study has however shown that TVET is much
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affordable meaning that there could be other factors causing low enrollment other than
affordability.
5.3 Proximity of the technical institutions
The findings showed that most of the institutions were far rendering most of them
inaccessible; 44% of the respondents suggested that the institutions are far and 14.8%
said the institutions were very far. 36.3% indicated the institutions were near and 2.2%
suggested that they were very near. Indeed, proximity could be a reason for low intake.
This is in agreement with Afeti, (2009) who observed that the institutions were located
far apart and away from residential areas and this could limit access.
5.4 Ease of enrolment in a technical institute compared to secondary school
The study findings showed that it was easier to be enrolled in technical training
institute than in secondary school. 19.2% of the respondents strongly agreed, 50.5%
agreed it was easy,
. % were neutral and . % didn’t agree with enrolment being
easy. This is in contradiction to Natalie, (2006) whom cited acceptance as one of the
major barriers to student’s enrolment in technical and vocational training.
Majority of the respondents indicated that it was difficult to enroll in other
tertiary institutions than technical institutes; hence, it wouldn’t take much effort to
enroll in a technical institute. 17% indicated that it was very difficult 33.5% indicated
that it was difficulty, 28% slightly difficult and 11% were of the contrary opinion saying
it was easier enrolling in tertiary institutions than technical institutes.
This is however in contradiction to Natallie, (2006), where from his study most
youth voiced out that, lack of financial resources, acceptance and being capable of
graduating as the major barriers to student’s career choices. Most of the respondents
indicated that it was difficult to enroll in other tertiary institutions than technical
institutes with only 11% having the contrary opinion.
6. Conclusions and recommendations
Based on the research question it was concluded that, TVET programmes in technical
institutes and institutes of science and technology in Bungoma County were affordable
and accessible. However, most students were not aware of the courses offered and the
entry requirements prior to joining the institutions which could be causes of the low
enrollment in the TVET institutions.
Based on the research findings, it was recommended that in order to make
technical and vocational training to be much attractive and to increase its enrolment,
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more emphasis should be put into advertisement of the TVET institutions, showing the
courses they offer and their entry requirements. This can be through brochures that can
be sent to primary and secondary schools.
References
1. Afeti, G. (2009). Technical and vocational education and training for industrialization.
In African Research and Resource Forum. Retrieved January (Vol. 25, p. 2012.
2. African Union. (2007). Strategy to Revitalize Technical and Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) in Africa. Addis Ababa: Conference of Ministers of Education of the
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