The administration of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has issued a stern warning to students regarding class attendance.
In a statement on September 11, the JKUAT raised the alarm over absenteeism, in the wake of ongoing student protests across various universities over the newly introduced funding model.
“As you are aware, we are now in the third (3rd) week of the semester. It is expected that you have now settled into the normal university schedules and timetables. You are expected to attend, without fail, all scheduled classes; laboratory, clinical, studio, and workshop sessions as appropriate,” part of the statement read.
JKUAT Directive
The administration further directed class representatives to report to the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) for further instructions.
“Class representatives are required to report to this office any non-attendance by their lecturers or facilitators, using the template contained in the memo from DVC (AA) circulated in the student’s email,” Prof. Robert Kinyua, DVC Academic Affairs said.
Also Read: University Student Leaders Call Off Protests Against New Funding Model
Protests about the new funding model
For a while there has been a debate about the New University Funding Model, which President William Ruto’s administration introduced.
The model drew criticism from political leaders, university students, education stakeholders, parents and members of the public.
Most university students have voiced their concerns about the funding model, terming it an unfair criterion for determining how the government is supposed to fund their education.
As such, various university students staged protests across the country on September 9 claiming that the government had ignored their concerns.
Ministry of Education’s Position
However, the government through the ministry of Education on September 8 announced that they have formed two committees to look into the funding model issue.
According to the ministry, the committees will constitute student leaders of various universities and various experts and stakeholders.
They will review the implementation of the funding model and make recommendations on how to improve it.
Also read: Govt Issues Fresh Directive Over University Funding Model
“The primary task of the Working Committees will be to review the status of implementation of the New Funding Model and make recommendations for improvement,” explained the ministry.
Moreover, the education ministry has indicated that it will publish further details on the functionality of the committees at a later date.
“The specific Terms of Reference for the Working Committees, which will be published within this week after due input from the student leadership.”
About JKUAT University
JKUAT University is a public university located in Juja, 36 kilometers northeast of Nairobi, along the Nairobi-Thika Superhighway.
It was established in1981 as a middle level college with the assistance of the Japanese government.
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