Opinion: Let’s make education more affordable

Investment in knowledge pays the best interest, and a country with an educated citizenry secures herself a bright future.

Investment in knowledge pays the best interest, and a country with an educated citizenry secures herself a bright future.

This is why developing countries, including Kenya, should scale the heights to make education affordable.

 This week’s decision by the government to waive penalties for 82,000 Kenyans who defaulted in repaying Sh8 billion in higher education loans is welcome. In fact, it was long overdue.

Truth is, the cost of higher education in Kenya has turned parents into paupers and killed dreams of millions.

 The Higher Education Loans Board has been a thorn in the flesh of many unemployed Kenyans, who feel punished for hailing from poor backgrounds.

We urge the government to continue pursuing workable models that will make higher education affordable.

For instance, to pursue an Education course, private students pay an average Sh90,000 against Sh28,000 for government students. These rates are way above what an ordinary Kenyan family can afford.

We can make a difference by sealing corruption loopholes, reorganising our budget and setting our priorities right to allow for programmes that will cushion learners from the pain of having to wade through an expensive system.

Now that free primary and secondary education is here, we can make universal access to higher education a reality.