Education CS Amina Mohamed has appealed to the UK for more scholarships for Kenyan students.
Speaking at the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers on Thursday, Amina noted the scholarships have contributed positively to development
“The Commonwealth
Scholarship and Fellowship Plan has made its mark not just on individual
beneficiaries but also, and more importantly, on the national development of our country."
In a separate meeting
with Nick Gibb, who is
Minister of State for Schools Standards at the Department for Education, the CS further appealed to the UK for a review of language proficiency requirements
for Kenyan students.
"English is the medium of instruction in Kenyan
schools," she argued.
The Cabinet Secretary
also called for strong partnerships with the UK especially in support of
digital learning, curriculum review and development as well as increasing infrastructure.
“We believe the
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan can be more impactful if scaled up," she said adding growth through South-South partnerships should be encouraged.
The theme of the 20th
CCEM in Nadi, Fiji, is
‘Sustainability and resilience: Can education deliver?'
The 19th Conference was held in Nassau, the Bahamas, in June 2015.
The Minister is expected to formally affirm Kenya’s acceptance of the offer to host
the next Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers which will take place
in 2021.
Kenya has been a
beneficiary of Commonwealth scholarships including an average of 52 consistent
ones from India, two from New Zealand and 12 from Pakistan.
Presently, there
are 29 Commonwealth scholarships tenable in the United Kingdom for 2017/18. This is against an annual average
of 10.
