Migosi was responding to queries by MPs during his vetting at the National Assembly who noted that newly appointed leaders have recently adopted a behaviour of undoing functional policies their predecessors had in place.
Education Cabinet Secretary Nominee Julius Ogamba Migosi on Thursday, August 1 said he will change any policies he deems to be poor the moment he is approved by Parliament for the position.
Migosi was responding to queries by MPs during his vetting at the National Assembly who noted that newly appointed leaders have recently adopted a behaviour of undoing functional policies their predecessors had in place.
He assured that he will not change any policy in the education sector that has been functioning perfectly. “However, it is good to give room for changes in policy that are not working,” Migosi said.
Ministry of Education headquarters at Jogoo House, Nairobi. /FILE
On policy changes, the Ministry of Education had domiciled Junior Secondary Schools from Grades 7 to 9 in Primary Schools.
However, stakeholders are now calling on the ministry to have Grades 8 and 9 in Secondary schools due to inadequate resources in primary schools ahead of Grade 9 enrolment in 2025.
While acknowledging that the policy is already in place, Migosi said if by January the government will not have availed enough resources to domicile Grade 9 learners in primary schools, he will do what is practical and best for the children by accommodating them in secondary schools.
Assessments by the government show that the state requires up to 16,000 classrooms by January to accommodate Grade 9 learners, yet construction is yet to begin.
Migosi went on to acknowledge that some of the policies in the education sector are complicated, calling for a lot more communication and engagement with the public to unpack the policies.
An example is the new university funding model which was first implemented in 2023.
“The funding model is a good program because the initial funding that existed was going to the universities as a block. In that sense, each student was receiving a block figure without relating it to their needs,” he said.
“The new funding model on the other hand is based on the needs of the student and the cost of the program. For example, if you can finance your education, based on the fact that you can then you should not be financed by government.”
Migosi said the new funding model will allow the government direct more focus on meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in society.
In his opinion, the new funding model is being misunderstood because it was not well broken down to the public.
“If this unbundled was done properly then the public would understand what it is,” he said.
He noted that the most vulnerable students get 95 per cent of funding from the state through the new model.
Migosi, a legal professional with over 25 years of experience, is on the verge of leading the Ministry of Education, taking over from Ezekiel Machogu, should he be approved for appointment.
Julius Migos Ogamba, Cabinet Secretary Nominee for the Ministry of Education, during vetting on August 1, 2024. /VIRAL TEA KE
