By Fredrick Odiero
Seme Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. James Nyikal has called on the government to stop blanket-funding of Public universities and instead fund them based on the courses they offer.
The MP who was speaking in Kisumu before the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms during a meeting convened to collect views regarding the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) said varsities encounter different needs and challenges.
Dr. Nyikal said the government should also consider increasing funds for institutions of higher learning and invest more in technology to enhance learning.
He further called for linkages between tertiary institutions, the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education.
The Legislator praised CBC terming it as the way to go as it nurtures talent but asked that the workload meted upon students be reduced and that the point and requirements for transition from one grade to another be spelt out clearly.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya Nyanza chapter said that the training of CBC teachers should be streamlined to facilitate smooth implementation of the curriculum.
During the meeting, Bishop Habakkuk Abogno noted that there was an acute congestion crisis in secondary schools and asked the Ministry of Education to domicile Junior Secondary School students in primary schools.
