Kenyans have expressed their concerns after Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala explained the method that the government used to allocate University fees to students joining next month.
Speaking after appearing in the National Assembly, the PS was put to task to explain the method used by the Ministry of Education to place students in university fees categories as poor parents complain about high fees allocation.
According to Inyangala, the government, the majority of the students landed in the Band 4 and Band 5 since the high school they attended was a classifying parameter and yet majority attended national schools where school fees topped Ksh53,000.
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Band 4 and Band 5 are the most expensive bands in the funding model with students placed in these bands expected to pay more fees and the government supporting with up to 30% of the total fees.
However, parents have complained that most of their students who attended national schools were supported by harambees and bursaries and it’s not evidence enough to place the students in band 4 and 5 which is a burden.
“Without reliable data on income, it is very difficult for us to use income precisely to predict for the time being. However, 84.8 per cent of the students who scored C+ (plus) and above studied in national schools.”
“In these National Schools they were paying Ksh53,000 minimum and we also know there are other levies. Some of these students also studied in private schools. This is why majority have been placed in Band 4 and Band 5.”
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The Ministry has however opened a window for unsatisfied students and parents to appeal the category decision by providing more information and even visiting homes of sampled students to confirm information provided.