Bumula MP Jack Wamboka has urged the government to reconsider the recently introduced education funding model, days after the court declared the model for universities unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Wamboka said the model was costly and only favours learners from rich backgrounds as compared to the previous system.
"Poor parents cannot be able to support their children through the new education system because it is too costly," he said.
The MP appeared to be reading from the same script as Justice Chacha Mwita who on Friday, December 20, ruled that the new university education funding model violated students’ legitimate expectations and was implemented without adequate public participation, despite its significant impact on higher education.
“The government has a constitutional responsibility to fund public universities. Passing this burden onto parents is a violation of the Constitution,” Justice Mwita said.
“The changes in the funding model did not adhere to the necessary legal provisions in its creation,” he observed.
Wamboka acknowledged that the new system was beneficial for the country, but its implementation strategies were frustrating and poised to fail.
"The government should not hurry to implement the CBC. Let them listen to the cries and views of parents and other stakeholders," he added.
Speaking Friday during a graduation party in Ndalu location, Tongaren Constituency, Wamboka stated the government should own the costs of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to cushion parents from the financial burden.
"The government should cater for all the costs for the CBC to enable equality education among learners," he said.
"Parents, teachers and even the Education ministry does not understand CBC and they expect learners to adopt it. It is bound to fail unless the government reviews its implementation model," added the MP.
The chairperson of the National Assembly's Committee on Public Investments and Governance further stated that the government should employ more teachers to take charge of academic programmes in schools.
He added that schools countrywide were facing an acute shortage of teachers, noting that the introduction of the new system has worsened the situation.
"The government should give priority to employment of teachers to fast track implementation of CBC," he added.
The MP also decried the financial crunch that is being faced by public universities.
He said corruption has contributed to challenges the institutions were facing.
"Management of public Universities have been appearing before my Committee to answer accountability questions and we have unearthed a lot of rot in the institutions," he added.
Wamboka noted that the committee he chairs was determined to ensure prudent use of public resources in the universities warning that corrupt managers will face the law.
