The government’s decision to fund students in private universities and schools has sparked mixed reactions among various groups.
Some people have argued that funding private universities is likely to kill public universities.
The president said his government has plans to fund 10,000 state sponsored students to pursue their education in private universities, which is not a bad idea.
Education is included in the Kenyan Constitution. It is considered to be a public good.
This means that every Kenyan child has the right to education. This right should apply to all students regardless of the school or universities they attend.
In addition, children in private universities are also considered to be taxpayers just like those in public universities. Why should they be denied an opportunity to benefit from the national cake?
However, critics have argued that parents who take their children to private universities are able to cater for their fees.
Private universities in the nation are more equipped than public universities. Funding these institutions will widen the gap in the long run.
With time, most Kenyan students will want to join private universities rather than public ones.
Kenya has joined nations such as the United States of America where the government supports students in private institutions.
The government officials have argued that they opted to finance students in private
universities in a bid to decongest public universities.
However, the question that should be asked is why did the government not think of using the same money to expand these universities?