The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has said that he is working on a proposal to make students from poor families the main target for government sponsorship for higher education.
Every year, government awards sponsorships to 4,000 students to pursue higher education.
Makerere University Chancellor, Prof Ezra Suruma addressing guests at the ceremony to mark 100 years of Makerere University
The beneficiaries are distributed among the nine public universities in the country.
Makerere University usually takes the lion’s share of about 1,600 students.
The selection process, however, is mainly based on the performance of the student.
This makes students from expensive schools that are afforded by the rich to outshine their counterparts from schools in remote areas where getting school fees is a hustle.
The Minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo speaking at the ceremony to mark 100 years of Makerere University on Thursday.
As a result, most of the beneficiaries of government sponsorship scheme for higher education are students of the rich who attend expensive schools especially in urban areas.
Tayebwa wants this to change.
Speaking at the ceremony to mark 100 years of Makerere University on Thursday, Tayebwa informed President Museveni who was the guest of the honor that he is working on a concept to make students from poor families the main target for government sponsorship scheme.
“Your Excellency, we are working on a concept which we are soon bringing to you. Most beneficiaries of government sponsorship are students from well to do families. They are students of the rich; from Namagunga, from Kisubi, from Kitende. That is where all of us are taking our children so that they excel, and come benefit from government sponsorship. Your Excellency, in Mitooma [district], before Government started district quota system, we could not get a student to benefit from government sponsorship. Now, we get 8 students because you have a special programme per quota which you give to students who study from those poor districts. But the students who come here [at Makerere University] on government sponsorship, enjoy allowances are children of the Tayebwa’s. They are not children of those peasants in Karamoja,” Tayebwa told the President.
Former Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda and Minister JC Muyingo attending Makerere at 100 celebrations on Thursday.
“So, we are working on a concept which we will share with you, Your Excellency as a proposal that government sponsorship is changed so that those children of the rich can come to Makerere and pay for Medicine, pay for Law, but children of the poor are the ones you give that government sponsorship,” he added.
Tayebwa informed the President students from expensive schools who benefit from government sponsorship come from schools whose fees is even higher than that of Makerere, and should therefore leave the government sponsorship scheme for the poor.
Guests attending Makerere at 100 celebrations on Thursday.
“Why should my child benefit from a scholarship at Makerere? ” He wondered.
Tayebwa said he shared the concept with the Executive Director of National Council for Higher Education, Prof Mary Okwakol, and will soon present it to the President.
