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Stakeholders against proposed increase in varsity tuition fees

Monday, February 27th, 2023 09:04 | By
Stakeholders against proposed increase in varsity tuition fees
Nyatike MP Tom Odege addressing the press.

Some education stakeholders in Nyanza region have opposed plans by the government to increase university education fees.

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori, MPs Tom Odege (Nyatike) and Adipo Okuome (Karachuonyo) said the proposal will hurt students from poor families by denying them access to higher education.

Presidential Working Party on Education reforms recommended increment of fees paid in higher learning institutions as a way of helping the institutions to stay afloat financially.

The presidential working party on education reforms recommended an increment of fees paid in higher learning institutions to help them stay afloat financially.

The taskforce, which presented its report to President William Ruto, has also recommended a raft of measures aimed at improving the quality of higher education in the country.

Sidelined children

But some education stakeholders want the government not to implement the recommendations on grounds that they will sideline children from poor families.

Consequently, the leaders want the government to rescind the implementation of the proposal, saying it will make university education costly especially for students from poor families.

 Misori argued that hiked fees will cause a huge burden on parents and bar their children from accessing education in higher institutions.

He noted that parents are already undergoing serious economic burden hence they should be cushioned from the hiked fees.

“Many Kenyans are not happy with the government intention to increase university fees by 200 per cent. Parents are already burdened and can’t afford to pay it,”  Misori said.

The Kuppet secretary general asked members of parliament to come up with a legislation that prevents the government from increasing the fees for universities and colleges.

“Let our parliamentarians come out to rescue parents from the looming fees burden ,” he added.

 On his part, Odege said doing so will lead to inequality in acquisition of higher education by many students whose families are challenged financially.

 The lawmaker observed that only ten per cent of students can afford the escalated fees in universities as they hail from poor families.

“Education has been an equalizer between children of the poor and children of the rich. Implementing such proposal is tantamount to denying children from poor families from accessing education,” Odege said.

He promised to present a motion in Parliament to compel the government not to increase fees in universities.

“The government should strive to make education affordable and accessible to all,” he said.

The leaders spoke during the fifth graduation ceremony of Mawego Technical Training Institute in Karachuonyo constituency at the weekend. The graduation ceremony was presided over by the Director of Technical Education Tom Mulati.

 A total 2462 students graduated as artisans, getting certificates, diplomas and higher diplomas.

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