Education Cabinet secretary Julius Migos yesterday faced the wrath of lawmakers over the new funding model which they claimed is not only discriminatory but has totally failed.

While expressing their anger to Migos, the lawmakers demanded that the Ministry of Education reverts back to the old system which they said was working well to allow them time to sort out the mess in the current systems.

In particular the MPs claimed that the Means Testing Instruments (MTI) that was used to place students in bands to determine how much they should get as sponsorships is not only flawed but a total failure as it does not take in consideration the exact financial position of parents.

Further they claimed that the MT1 has placed some of the needy students into the wrong bands, which has resulted in some 14,000 students not reporting to the universities as they are unable to cater for the fees provided.

MPs Naisula Lesuuda (Samburu West), James Nyikali (Seme), Mugambi Rindikiri (Buuri), John Kaguchia(Mukurweini), Glaadys Shollei(UasinGishu county), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Cynthia Munge (Nandi County) Duncan Mina (Nyeri Town), Catherene Omanyo (Busia), Geoffrey Ruku(Mbeere North), Fedinand Wanyonyi (Kwanza) ,Joyce Bensouda(Homabay County ) , Innocent Mugambe (Likuyani), Mahmud Sirat (Wajir South) said there is need for the Ministry of Education to admit that this new model had failed.

Revert to old system

Wanyoyi sought to know why the government was hesitant to revert back to the old system yet it was working well.

He said: “Why don’t you go back to the old system because it looks like, from what I’m seeing and from your presentation, I think this system is not going to work. Let’s go back to the old system because we have enough universities in this country, plus of course we are having TVETs.

We have enough institutions, why don’t you go back to the old system, because it looks like the ensure that there is fair distribution of the funds that they are holding as the Ministry to all the Kenyans because we are all taxpayers.”

Defended model

The law makers made the remarks after Migos, who was answering questions on the floor of the house, defended the model saying it is designed to provide funding for students based on their level of need in order to achieve equity and inclusivity.

The funding model, he explained, was introduced following the recommendation of the Presidential working party on education reform that was set up and that concluded its report last year.

He explained that the ministry of Education is currently dealing with the 12,000 appeals that have been filed in the portal which will be closed in December.

He said: “The data provided by the students was validated through other government agencies and systems. The application system is integrated in other government databases that include KUCCPS, the integrated population registration system, NEMIS, KNBS, HELB, the registrar of births and deaths, National Social Protection Scheme, National Council of Persons with Disabilities and the KRA To determine the student’s level of need in order to give the categorization, there was use of a product called the “means testing instrument”.

With regards to students who have not reported to universities, although he said they are looking into the matter, he said that this follows a number of challenges including multiple admission, others going to private universities, others getting married and thus don’t report to the institutions.

But immediately after he was done, the lawmakers demanded that action be taken to sort out the current issues of failure to which the entire education system will collapse.

Nyikal sought to know whether the MTI was subjected to scrutiny before it was implemented by the ministry.

He said: “You had said you are using means testing, which means testing are you using? Is it a proxy means testing or any other means testing? Once you started using it, was there any public survey to validate the instrument…if you used it and then you went and the public looked at the families and did it tell the income as the instrument is showing? –

Bensouda told the CS to confirm whether feasibility tests were done before the new funding model was introduced in the universities.

She said: “CS, please confirm whether the feasibility study was done for MTI, pre testing was done, who were the target audiences, because the CS says here chiefs were told to do this. Did you also conduct the cost benefit analysis? We are talking in theories in parliament and the students are at home, we have said students should not be sent home yet they are there.

Ruku asked the ministry to revert back to the old funding model to allow it deal with the current issues facing the new model.

He said: “Why is it that the ministry cannot go back to the old model before we implement this new model? We have 14000 students who have not reported. This is a very huge number and all these are likely to have come to the needy families.”

Maina said that the ministry should have upgraded the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and use it to fund the students.