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<h1 class="entry-title">Diploma students reluctant to take up loans</h1>
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<div class="gmail-author-link">By <a href="http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/author/owuor/" rel="author">People Daily</a>
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<div>Date: <time class="entry-date gmail-updated" datetime="2016-09-19T00:00:59+00:00">September 19, 2016</time></div>
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<p><strong>James Murimi @Jamesmurymy</strong></p>
<p>Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has expressed concerns
over the meager uptake of educational loans by students pursuing diploma
and certificate courses in institutions of higher learning.</p>
<p>Matiang’i says that only 70 per cent of the Sh300 million set aside
by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) was dispatched to students
who had applied in public universities, university colleges, public
national polytechnics, technology and technical training institutes.</p>
<p>Speaking during the launch of Zetech University’s strategic plan this
week, Matiang’i said the government will continue investing in students
pursuing Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM)
diploma courses in private universities by ensuring that they get access
to HELB loans. However, the CS called on public and private
universities to shun offering diploma programmes but instead focus on
degree and other higher courses.</p>
<p>“If you are chartered as a university, you should focus more on
degree programmes. We are looking at constraints we have of space for
degree courses. Why can’t we ask our universities to concentrate on
degree programmes and leave diploma courses to other institutions?” he
said, adding that his ministry is liaising with the Commission for
University Education (CUE) on the issue.</p>
<p>The CS also noted that the ministry will allow the affirmative action
policy to continue in enrollment of students in public institutions, in
a bid to enhance gender parity and all-inclusive education.</p>
<p>“We have to deal with the reality in our society. As a ministry we
have a bird’s eye-view on the spectrum of the country and some regions
are retrogressive with backward social practices, which do not allow
girls to access education,” he said.</p>
<p>He said that the Government will this year dispatch Sh10.3 billion
for HELB, which is the highest amount to be set aside for a students’
loan programme in Kenya’s history, adding that the amount will be
increased gradually.</p>
<p>“The greatest resource we have in our country is the youth and the
Government is committed to investing in them,” he said. Matiang’i
further announced that he is exploring discussions with his colleagues
in the education sector to make Kiswahili compulsory, even in
international schools that are based in Kenya, so as to expand and
develop the language in the country.</p>
<p>“My ministry and that of ICT, together with other stakeholders, will
address the issue of language policy so that we push further the use of
Kiswahili in more of our national responsibilities and activities as a
way of enhancing its growth,” he said.</p><p><a href="http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/features/253910/diploma-students-reluctant-to-take-up-loans/">http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/features/253910/diploma-students-reluctant-to-take-up-loans/</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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