Streamline operations in the Education Ministry
business
By
Editorial
| Aug 16, 2024
Students set to join universities this year have until Thursday to apply for funding amid the confusion surrounding the whole exercise. Fee chargeable shocked many, and the resultant public outcry caused the government to clarify the amounts as an error.
Indeed, President William Ruto has asked public universities to recall all the admission letters they had sent out. This points to a disconnect between university management and the government over the new funding model that replaced the Higher Education Loans Board. The new funding model has five levels of loans based on household income.
Level one covers households whose income is below Sh5995, level 2 between Sh5995 and Sh23670, level 3 between Sh23671 and Sh70000, level 4 between Sh70000 and 119999 while level 5 is for those whose income is above Sh120000.
Did universities seek to raise as much money from students for operational costs by being vague about how much a student is supposed to pay based on the Needs Assessment Tools model?
While universities wallow under a Sh75 billion debt in pending bills, former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu told the National Assembly Education Committee last year that the government owed universities a whooping Sh147 billion. To expect universities to operate optimally under such financial strains is to expect too much.
READ MORE
Importers fight state plan to use railway levy for loans
KBA sues regulator over 'illegal' bancassurance fee ban
The man financing Africa's cargo flow and missing link in trade boom
Police, prison officers to benefit from 47,000 housing units plan
Expanding tax base key to Kenya's economic prosperity
CoG calls for clear plan to transition from coal, oil, and gas to renewable energy
How Kenya missed out on Sh125b World Bank project
The irony of JKIA unveiling airport makeover plan without funding clarity
How Adani is plotting comeback after losing Sh258b JKIA deal
Inside beer distribution dispute threatening Diageo's exit plan
This lackadaisical attitude by the government, which has also failed to remit capitation to primary and secondary schools in good time jeopardises our education. Already, teacher unions have threatened to down tools ahead of the third term opening.
Ministry of education operations must be streamlined to enable schools, from the basic level of learning to the apex of education to function smoothly. We cannot hope to make great strides developmentally when education is denied to the largely poor populace that needs it as an equaliser to succeed in life.