University student leaders from various institutions have called off the planned demonstrations against the new funding model, citing ongoing efforts by multiple stakeholders to resolve the contentious issues.
In a joint statement, both elected and non-elected student representatives noted the government’s recent proposal to form an all-inclusive committee, which will involve student unions in the review and adjustment of the funding model, as a key reason for halting the protests.
“We believe, street demonstration is not the best route now unless we have no other options left. Comrades, we see light light at the end of the tunnel, and it is in the interest of this caucus that we give dialogue a chance,” the leaders stated.
“As leaders we support the new approach but call on government to facilitate the development of strict timelines and for the committees’ workings. Comrades will not accept any complacency any more, let us fix it and move on as a country,” they added.
The new model has been a point of contention for months, with many parents and students expressing concern over the financial burden imposed by the categorization of students.
According to the leaders, majority of students have been misclassified, leaving many families unable to meet the required household contributions for university fees.
Education CS Julius Ogamba has established two short-term working groups, which include university student leaders, to review the new funding model and recommend improvements.
The Working Group’s specific Terms of Reference include:
- Appraisal of the model’s implementation
- Evaluate the Means Testing Instrument on students’ socio economic realities
- Assess the efficacy of funding recategorization appeals mechanism
- Analyze the cost of universities programmes, and
- Review student loans structure
