The proposal from Trade Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria to have some universities in Kenya privatised has been protested by Education Unions.
This after CS Kuria, while addressing the press in late January, opined that some schools are in a poor state and in high debt. He noted that he is willing to rope in international investors to partner with local universities.
In a quick rebuttal, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General (SG) Constantine Wasonga claims that the move will leave the management of education to ‘cartels’.
During the launch of research findings on the privatisation and commercialization of Education in Kenya, Wasonga demanded that CS Kuria should sit down with professionals and deliberate on the best way forward in managing Education systems in the nation.
“We were taken aback that the government wants to leave its responsibility and leave the funding of university education to outside investors,’ he said.
“The minister of trade must now speak. We will not leave the Management of education to cartels. If education is left in the hands of investors where will the poor Kenyans go to? Will they afford education,” he added.
“Let politicians not tell us how education should be run or funded we are the professionals. We must be United now because if we don’t, the education system will go the dogs.”
Wasonga further rebuked the introduction of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
He noted that the current implementation hurdles were occasioned by poor consultations on how best the system would work.
“Imagine you are in primary then you are being told you are in secondary, which system of education is this? A STD 7 pupil is now more senior than a STD 8?” he posed.
“Who decided this type of curriculum? And they don’t want to consult experts. They will not put us in those working groups because we will tell them the truth.”
He affirmed that UASU, in solidarity with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) will adamantly fight to stop the “privatization and commercialization of education in Kenya.”
On his part, KUPPET Deputy SG Moses Nthurima noted that the government to steer clear from privatizing institutions of higher learning accusing it of escaping costs since most lecturers are protesting the delay of salaries.
“The government should not run away from cost. The report is coming at a time university lecturers are having altercations with the government because they can’t be paid. This report is impeaching the government,” he said.
He further termed the JSS system as a sham since its implementation has been too disorderly and is subsequently affecting learners from accessing quality education.
“Will there be enough learning? we are just being treated to gimmicks. JSS students might run to private schools if they will not be taught well in public schools. Education is a human right. There is every reason to ensure access and quality,” he said.
Nthurima noted that there is a dire need for a dialogue between the education experts and the government to recalibrate on this pertinent matter.
“We need to have a dialogue with government we remind it that it has left the education sector. When they were going around inspecting schools they only visited the well-built schools and the media focused on that.”
