Secondary, University Fees Motion To Affect Access To Quality Education Among Poor

Kasaila

Government says students from poor families are the victims of the recent National Assembly resolution which is stopping Secondary schools and Universities from implementing new fees regime.

On Thursday, Salima Central legislature, Felix Jumbe made proposal that the House resolves postponement of recently announced fees hike in Secondary schools and Universities since the majority in rural areas cannot afford due to current economic problems. 

Minister of Transport who is also leader of House in the National Assembly, Francis Kasaila said in an interview that, the implementation of the resolution will frustrate Government efforts of providing quality education in Public schools to enable students from poor families access to quality education. 

Kasaila said the decision to hike fees in Public secondary schools and Public Universities was meant to improve quality of education through cost sharing so that Schools are able to provide necessary learning and teaching materials.

"Government is saying; we need to provide quality education to the students who are coming from the poor families, and to do that we need to raise resources so that we improve on the quality of education.” Said Kasaila

All of them (Legislatures) who were talking there, have their children in private schools. They don’t have their children in Public schools. Why? Because the quality of education there is poor.” He said

Kasaila therefore emphasized that although the National Assembly resolution seem to be helping the poor, but the decision will prevent students especially children from poor from access to quality education in public schools which they rely on.

He noted that the argument that was brought in the House could have helped poor if it looked at how Government can support the needy students so that with effects of newly introduced fees they do not fail to pursue on their studies. 

“In fact Government is providing bursary to such needy students.” He said 

He also indicated that it is surprising that some students that are said to have been affected by new fees regime are former students from High Schools where student pay a minimum of half a million Kwacha fees but find it expensive and fail to pay K30 thousand or K250 thousand fees charging Public secondary schools and universities respectively.

"Unfortunately, we know because of politics people want to be seen that they stand for the poor but the fact is, the poor want quality education, not just education" said Kasaila