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Parents raised concerns over the fate of students as government mulls to cut funding for students who scored C+ in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
Speaking to the press on Sunday, February 26, some parents complained that the move would lock out thousands of children from humble backgrounds from furthering their education.
Joyce Kemunto explained that withdrawal of the support would mean that her son, who repeated Form Four to qualify for the funding, drop out of school.
Students sit for a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) exam
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“I am his only surviving parent and I cannot afford to pay fees. I am pleading with the government to help our children so that they can also come and help us in future,” Kemunto stated.
Her son, Fred Sing’a, scored a C plain in the 2021 KCSE exam and was admitted to the polytechnic but lost the opportunity because she could not afford to pay his tuition fees.
Sing’a intimated that if the state goes through with the plan, he would consider repeating the class for a second time to qualify for the sponsorship.
A second parent protested the move and warned the government against converting a basic need into a preserve of the rich in society.
“Education should also benefit the poor because that is how a society is uplifted,” Anthony Machoka remarked.
Should the government proceed with the plan, 70,088 students would be forced to part with more money to proceed with their tertiary education.
The revelation was made by University Fund Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geoffrey Monari who intimated that the Treasury did not have the capacity to sponsor all 173,345 students who qualified to join the university.
Monari pointed out that the placement would be based on the availability of funds and would be conducted by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
His sentiments came after KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Agnes Wahome called on universities to consider other sources of funding for students.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome during an interview in her office in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on February 19, 2021.NATION
Nation Media Group
