University Funding: Gov’t Explains Why Many Students Are in Bands 4 & 5, Issues Way Forward
University Funding: Gov’t Explains: Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala on Tuesday explained the New University Funding Model, After uproar from Kenyans who have raised concerns on placement.
According to the PS, majority of the students landed in the Band 4 and Band 5 since the high school they attended was a classifying parameter and yet majority attended national schools where school fees topped Ksh53,000.
She stated, “Without reliable data on income, it is very difficult for us to use income precisely to predict for the time being. However, I have data here from the National Examination Council for the results of the students who are now joining University,”
“According to this data, 84.8 per cent of the students who scored C+ (plus) and above studied in national schools. We can see that this admission is skewed towards national schools. In this national schools, students were paying Ksh53,000 minimum and we also know there are other levies. Some of these students also studied in private schools,”
She further cited that the affected students had failed to demonstrate that they come from needy families hence.
She stated,”When we use the secondary school that a student went to as an indicator and the students went to national schools and they have not demonstrated that they were funded through harambees or they had a guardian, then it becomes very difficult for us not use that variable as a discriminator,”
“However, this is what then opens the opportunity for appeal. This may also include visiting some sampled students in their homes,” she added.
Also Appearing before the committee was University Fund Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Monari, who encouraged families dissatisfied by their cluster to make another application.
He stated,”Categorization of many of the students who have been classified in the Bands of 4 and 5 depends on the information they have given us. We highly depend on the information that is given by the students,”
“However, they have a chance to give us more information if they are not classified in the correct band,” he added.
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