Court clears way for university funding review, public consultations begin

Cabinet secretary ministry of Education Prof.Julius Migos Ogamba Speaking on Wednesday during a prize-giving day at Mary Hill Girls School. [Gitau Wanyoike] The Ministry of Education is racing against time to conduct public participation nationwide in compliance with the court's directives on the new funding model. This comes just days after the Court of Appeal cleared the way for President William Ruto's university funding model. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos revealed that the ministry has been working on a report since October last year, which is now ready and will guide the next steps regarding the funding model. "No student will be sent away to collect school fees. The new system will ensure that children from poor backgrounds are given priority," Migos assured. Speaking on Wednesday during a prize-giving day at Mary Hill Girls School, the CS reiterated that the new funding model aims to foster equity and fairness, allowing students from all socio-economic backgrounds to access education without financial hurdles. The government has been embroiled in a legal battle at the appellate court after a High Court ruling struck down its new funding model, introduced in May 2023, on grounds that it was discriminatory and lacked sufficient public participation. The Court of Appeal, in its ruling, directed the Attorney General, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to publicize the funding model within 14 days to universities, colleges, and students. At the same event, Migos announced that schools will soon be classified under a new structure as either triple or double pathway schools, effectively phasing out the current categorization of national, extra-county, county, and sub-county schools. "This new structure will enable learners to pursue their passions for posterity," he stated. Additionally, the CS warned school principals against withholding students' certificates, emphasizing that it is illegal to retain crucial documents for any reason. "Ladies and gentlemen, that directive is not arbitrary; it is based on the law-Article 53 of the Constitution and Section 10(1)(b) of the Kenya National Examinations Council Act, 2012-which states that no institution or individual should withhold a student's certificate," the CS added. Auxiliary Bishop Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi who was the main celebrant at the ceremony urged the government to engage in broader consultations before implementing guidelines on the selection of learners for senior schools. "We appeal to the government to continue consulting widely before implementing guidelines on the selection of learners for senior schools. Additionally, we call for the timely disbursement of capitation funds to basic learning institutions to ensure smooth and effective learning,"He noted. The Ministry of Education should also prioritize the proper training and equipping of teachers, particularly in senior schools, to enhance the quality of education," Bishop Kamau said. Mary Hill Girls' Chief Principal, Grace Macharia, appealed for continued support to the school, which has a student population of over 2,000. "We are in dire need of a multipurpose hall to cater to the CBC art and sports science pathways. Additionally, we request the construction of a perimeter fence to enhance the security of our girls," Mrs. Macharia said. "With a candidacy of 587 students, our school posted excellent results last year, achieving a mean score of 10.0511, an improvement from the 9.4423 recorded in 2023," she noted. In the 2024 KCSE results, 80 students scored straight A plains, 181 secured A minuses, 139 attained B pluses, 111 earned B plains, while 37 students managed B minuses. Two students scored C pluses, five had C plains, and only two scored C minuses.

Court clears way for university funding review, public consultations begin

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