- University education has become out of reach for poor families in this country.
- The current funding model should have been tested before rolling out.
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I think it is very unfortunate, where we find ourselves, because we are gambling with the future of our children.
It is a mess that, to be fair, has been on for a while but it needs very careful and quick resolution.
There is a problem right from primary education, especially the Junior Secondary School classes; some schools don’t even have the JSS classes.
So, you end up with a situation that is quite unfortunate and disadvantaging a number of needy students across the country.
When you come to secondary schools, you also find that there has been a problem in terms of paying teachers; and teachers downing tools and resorting to industrial action over government failure to implement their collective bargaining agreements, as they did recently and students were forced to stay at home.
Coming to university education, there is a big issue of funding our education. We have made education extremely expensive in this country and only for the rich, who can afford it.
That banding system is outrageous and does not work.
I have so many cases of extremely needy students in my constituency but who are put in Band 4 and Band 5 and denied funding. That is very difficult to understand.
It is a good thing that I just saw some two committees have been established by the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to review the banding.
The model should have been reviewed carefully before implementation.
That needs assessment. It is something that does not seem to work. You cannot determine the needs of a student merely on some paper review, without actual physical assessment of the needs of the student.
Unless it is something that is done, in fact, involving even the chief or other members of national government administration officers (Ngaos) who are on the ground, it won’t give an accurate outcome.
So, the new university students funding model should not have been implemented in the first place, without proper review.
Rarieda Member of Parliament spoke to the Star