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Parliament Buildings, Tuesday, September 24th, 2024
The National Assembly’s Committee on Education, led by Hon. Julius Melly, held a session with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, alongside Principal Secretaries Dr. Belio Kipsang (Basic Education) and Dr. Beatrice Muganda (Higher Education). The meeting focused on the challenges of implementing the new Student-Centred Funding Model for higher education and the country’s readiness for the transition to Grade 9 under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Committee members raised concerns about the reliability of the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), which determines student funding by categorizing households into income bands. Hon. Nabii Nabwire questioned whether the system could adapt to changing financial circumstances for students. CS Ogamba acknowledged the challenges and reassured the committee that efforts were being made to improve the MTI process. He confirmed that an appeals process would remain open until December 2024 for students needing reclassification.
The committee also discussed the transition to Grade 9. Basic Education PS Dr. Belio Kipsang confirmed that both summative and formative assessments would be in place, with simulations underway. He highlighted the need for 16,000 classrooms for Grade 9 students, with 3,500 already under construction, supported by the World Bank.
In light of the recent Hillside Endarasha Academy fire, the lawmakers called for stronger safety measures in schools. CS Ogamba revealed that 107 fire incidents had occurred since January 2024 and assured that safety inspections would be intensified, covering over 12,000 schools.
The session concluded with Hon. Julius Melly urging the Ministry to expedite the tabling of legislation to streamline the education sector, which has faced delays for more than three years.
The Committee is scheduled to meet with the Teachers Service Commission on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
