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{
"id": 201524,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/201524/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Mango",
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"speaker": {
"id": 288,
"legal_name": "Christine Mango",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow colleagues who have contributed to this Motion. The spirit of the Motion was that there is need to amend the Higher Education Loans Board Act, Chapter 213(A) to allow for the introduction of the Constituency Higher Education Loans Scheme (CHELS) so that we can ensure that all students who qualify from all corners of the country can access the loans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the reason why I am calling for that is that, the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) cut-off points have been rising every year. One time, it had reached \"A\"-. Now, many areas in the country do not have good learning facilities. They cannot raise a single student with \"A\" or \"A\"- to qualify for university education. If we decentralize HELB, a student with a grade of \"C\"+ from such an area would qualify. He or she would be considered by the Constituency Committee and given the money to pursue university education. What the Assistant Minister is saying is that we should lower the cut-off points. But then, even when we lower the grades, they will go through the computer. The computer cannot see the face of a student from the community which does not have good learning facilities. So, as much as lowering the grade is good, but let us lower the grade and leave it to the community. The community knows who is an orphan. It knows the student who went through a school that had no electricity; the student was studying by using a small kerosene lamp at night. He or she could not read for many hours because of lack of electricity; the student was confined to reading during daylight. There are many areas in Kenya where there is no electricity in secondary schools. Those areas include the constituency that I represent. It is not the worst of them all. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we talk about qualifications, the constituency will take into account the fact that, a \"C\"+ in Butula could be equivalent to a \"B\"+ in Nairobi. Those are the sentiments that can only be taken care of by different constituencies. They would take into account the circumstances prevailing in their areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Fund needs to be increased to take care of as many 4300 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 3, 2007 Kenyans as possible. There is need for equity because, according to the figures from HELB, there is a lot of lop-sided allocations. A student from the furthest corner of Kenya may not know that HELB exists. But if it is at the constituency level, the student will know that it exists. Many students miss out! For example, I have a student in my constituency who did his exams in Kisii. He had overall \"A\"-. He never even applied to JAB, leave alone the HELB. Therefore, at the constituency level, it is easier for the student to know what is available. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, \"C\"+ is the confirmed qualifying mark. But many students who attain that grade are left out. But because of the JAB cut-off points, they never qualify for those loans and yet, they might be the best students in that secondary school. Those who are left out have nowhere to seek redress. Therefore, it is only through decentralization that such students could be taken care of. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, since it is a loan which is repaid with interest, Africans should get sufficient loans."
}