Education is critical for any nation as its benefits accrue not just to the beneficiaries, but to society at large.
Our parents did not get much education and so they told us the only inheritance a parent can bequeath their children is a good education and they were right. They worked hard to get us through primary and secondary schools and left the Government to take over at the university level.
This is the practice in Kenya and abroad. There is logic and value to public funding for universities. Many Kenyans, including myself, would never have gotten educated if the Government did not pay capitation to universities and guaranteed students' loans. Although the CS for Education has retracted his statement that the Government would end capitation to public universities, this should never have crossed his mind.
Ending funding to public universities is a sure way of ensuring they close shop. Those that have capacity to remain as going concerns would have had to be forced to charge exorbitant fees to remain as a going concern. This would have meant 95 per cent of students would leave university because they cannot raise higher fees than they are already paying.
This would certainly compromise the standards and quality of education. In fact, many students in public universities go through financial difficulties. They cannot afford accommodation, meals and transport where required forcing many to hustle on the side to make it through their study.
Public funding for universities ensures high standards and quality education, which is key to achieving sustainable development goal four - "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030." The right to education is not only a human right guaranteed under our Constitution, "every person has the right to education" and "every child has the right to free and compulsory education," it is also guaranteed in numerous treaties and instruments that Kenya ascribes to.
The Kenya Kwanza manifesto, in promising to ensure more children transition to university, states, "Education is the ultimate means of ensuring an equitable society. Equitable education ensures that every child has a chance to fulfil their potential and rise to the highest level of accomplishment irrespective of their social background," and commits to address the inequities in our education system so as to level the playing field for all children irrespective of their background.
It further commits to establish a National Skill and Funding Council that amalgamates HELB, TVET and University Funding Board and increase funding to bridge the current 45 per cent gap and to increase funding for research and development from the current 0.8 per cent to 2 per cent of GDP in accordance with the Science and Technology Innovation (ST&I) Act 2013 and to improve the quality and standard of education and to ensure equality and equity in its access. How can it do that without funding public universities?
Without funding to universities, Kenyans will not get relevant skills for decent work. All jobs require some level of education and the higher the responsibility of the job the higher the level of education required. Education also ensures equal access to opportunities by women and persons with disability thereby reducing gender and disability disparities. Achieving literacy and numeracy by all, is a requisite for sustainable development.
There is no country in the world that has developed without an educated workforce and citizenry. In fact, discipline and good health/hygiene are key by-products of education. Education facilitates sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.
Without education we would have no common languages and communication would be impossible; without funding for public education, you would not be reading this article because I would not been able to write it!
Therefore, the Government should step up efforts to address the current funding and financial crises and streamline the university sector to ensure its commitments are met and lift Kenyans from the yoke of illiteracy among others.
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