51,000 university students risk missing exams in the new funding model
About 51,628 students who reported to universities risk missing their exams for failure to clear fees owing to the wrong classifications in the new funding model according to MPs
About 51,628 students who reported to universities risk missing their exams for failure to clear fees owing to the wrong classifications in the new funding model according to report in parliament.
Documents tabled before the MPs showed that out of the 124,364 students who reported to universities, only 75,000 paid for their household contribution admission, with another 49,000 yet to pay and another 2,628 who did not apply for funding as at the time of admission.
A total of 124,364 students out of the 138,535 students that were placed had reported to their respective universities.
The revelations prompted the shocked MPs to not only call for a total overhaul of the funding model but also directed that Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba issue a circular to universities ordering them to allow the affected learners to sit for exams following complaints from the students that they had been denied a chance to do so.
Said Ogamba: “We have also instructed all public universities to admit placed students without requiring them to pay their household contributions. As at September 20, 2024, a total of 124,364 students out of the 138,535 students that were placed, had reported to their respective universities. This means that 2,628 students had not applied for funding as at the time of admission, the number of students who have paid their household contribution (fees) stands at 75,000 (60 percent).
He added: “No student is supposed to be denied a chance to do exams because we are currently addressing this matter. As you have directed, we will issue that directive asking the university to do just like we did with the admission when we asked them to allow admission of all learners.”
Ogamba who had appeared before the committee on education chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly admitted that the ministry was equally concerned about the many complaints raised over the Means Testing Instruments (MTI) and thus are working day and night to ensure that the model meets the scientific criteria required for it to be acceptable by all.
He revealed that in the 2024/25 cycle, they have only received 11,132 appeals which they are yet to start addressing with the exercise set to be concluded in December.
Ogamba told the MPs that the inaccuracy of the categorization of the students in various bands is due to a number of challenges including internet changes, computer literacy and the lack of knowledge about the process.
He also claimed that the inaccuracies are also because most applicants rely on cyber cafe attendants to make applications for them resulting leading to inaccurate and generic information that does not reflect the actual needs of the student, students deliberately providing inaccurate data for fear of stigmatization out of misapprehension that the data may be used for other purposes as well as provision of information that has been overtaken by events resulting in students being categorized in bands that do not reflect their current economic situation.
He said: “It was observed that this structure was not elaborate enough to reflect the diverse financial realities of Kenyans households, especially those in the middle-income categories.”
During the grilling session, Ogamba assured parents with children transiting to Grade Nine that by January next year, the government will have constructed the 16,000 classrooms required to accommodate the students.
The CS said that the construction of the first phase of 3,500 classrooms at a cost of Sh3.5 billion is ongoing and is almost 70 percent complete while the second phase of the construction of 75,000 classrooms will start soon as the National Treasury had already released the Sh4.3 billion required for the exercise.
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He also said that the ministry through Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development had completed the development of text books whose distribution will begin later this month while the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had trained and retooled, 60,642 teachers and will in November and December retool others.
But the MPs led by Melly claimed that learners were suffering as they had been denied a chance to sit for exams.
The lawmakers also complained that parents were struggling to pay fees due to wrong classification as they have been placed in the wrong bands.
Melly who ordered Ogamba to direct universities to sit for exams, raised concerns that the MTI’s are very questionable as they are not giving accurate results.
He said: “Please CS issue a circular directing universities that students be allowed to sit for exams before this issue of MTIs is addressed.”
He added: “This MTIs you are using are not giving us the right answers.
We have had six meetings with the PS and those in this sector where they have taken us through the various variables and validators but we have not gotten any answers. What are you doing to ensure that you give us the right MTI that can give the right date?”
Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi claimed that students were complaining that they are being forced to own the funding model yet it is not working.
She said: “The concerns received from students is that you are not ready to deal with this model and are forcing the funding model down their throats. What are you doing as a ministry to correct this?”
Kibra MP Peter Orero asked the CS whether he is bold enough to admit that the MTI’s are not independent enough for them to place students in the right categorization.
He said: “Mr CS what are you doing to get us out of this problem.”
Marakwet East MP Timothy Toroitich proposed that the new funding model be suspended to allow parliament to scrutinize it because it is not working.
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