- The reforms team has proposed a bill for the establishment of the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Board (TEPFB).
- The director general to the board shall be appointed by the board as the chief executive officer.
Image: PCS
The education review team has recommended the creation of a giant board that will merge key agencies handling higher education funding and placement.
The Presidential Party on Education Reforms has proposed a bill for the establishment of the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Board (TEPFB).
Once established, the TEPFB will take over the mandates of the Higher Education Loans Boards(Helb), Universities Funding Board(UFB) and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service(KUCCPS).
The proposed board will also assume the roles of the TVET Funding Board as the government moves to align university funding to students' needs and course requirements.
The functions of the board shall include managing a special fund that will be established to finance students and universities.
The Tertiary Education Fund shall provide loans to students to pursue tertiary education, advise the Cabinet Secretary on matters of education funding and formulate sound policies for regulating the management of the fund.
The board will determine the maximum number of eligible persons or students to be granted loans in any one particular year and also receive and consider all loan applications from eligible persons or students wishing to be considered for the award of tertiary loans.
The board will also establish the minimum discipline differentiated remuneration for academic staff of tertiary institutions, which shall be fair and globally competitive, and advise the government accordingly.
It will also be the mandate of the board to place government-sponsored students in public Universities, colleges and TVET institutions.
The Board shall consist of a chairperson appointed by the president, the principal secretary responsible for higher education and research, or a representative and (PS) responsible for technical and vocational education and training or a representative.
Among those who will sit on the board will be the PS in the Ministry responsible for finance, or a representative and a representative of the vice-chancellors or principals of the public universities.
The vice-chancellors or principals of the private universities will also send a representative to the board which will have the secretary and the chief executive of the TVET.
The board shall also have two persons who have proven knowledge and experience in financial matters one of whom shall represent colleges not within the Ministry of Education and from different gender.
There shall be the Director General who shall be an ex officio.
The director general of the board shall be appointed by the board as the chief executive officer and shall be responsible for the management of the day-to-day activities of the Board.
The Director General shall hold office for five years and shall be eligible for reappointment once subject to performance evaluated by the Board.