Ada elimu ya juu yapanda, mikopo kulipwa kwa riba Uingereza...............

Rutashubanyuma

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Sep 24, 2010
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Ada elimu ya juu yapanda, mikopo kulipwa kwa riba Uingereza

Thursday, 09 December 2010 17:37 newsroom




* Bodi ya mikopo nchini yataka serikali kufuata mfumo huo

NA MWANDISHI WETU

SUALA la kupanda kwa ada za vyuo vikuu limekuwa mjadala siyo tu katika nchi zinazoendelea, bali hata katika nchi zilizoendelea.

Mjadala huo unatokana na ukweli kwamba wapo wanaoona ni wakati wa ada za vyuo vikuu kupanda ili kuboresha ubora wa elimu, kwa kuandaa mazingira bora ya kufundishia. Mathalan , katika nchi za Kenya, Uganda na Tanzania, mjadala huo umewafanya baadhi ya wanasiasa kutofautiana, huku wengine wakiunga mkono kupanda huko na wengine wakipinga. Wanaopinga wanaeleza kuwa kupanda kwa ada kutawafanya watoto wengi wa masikini kushindwa kupata elimu hiyo na matokeo yake elimu ya juu kuwa ya wachache.

Lakini wale wanaotaka elimu kupanda wanaamini kuwa fedha zinazolipwa na wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu haziendani na kiwango cha mahitaji ya elimu wanayopata, kwani wanalipa fedha kidogo. Watanzania wengi wanaamini kuwa rasilimali nyingi ziliozopo nchini zinatosha kuwasomesha wanafunzi wote nchini bure, hivyo hakuna haja ya wanafunzi kupandishiwa ada. Pamoja na mpango huo wa kupanda kwa ada nchini Tanzania na nchi zingine Afrika, Uingereza nayo imeingia katika mzozo huo wa kupanda kwa ada na kuweka riba kwenye fedha za mikopo.

Waziri Mkuu wa Uingereza, David Cameron anatuhumu kiongozi wa Labour, Ed Miliband kwa madai kuwa amekuwa mnafiki katika kujadili sera ya kupandishwa ada za wanafunzi vyuo vikuu. Hatua hiyo imefikiwa baada ya serikali ya Uingereza kufikia uamuzi wa kupandisha ada ya wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu ili kuimarisha mfumo wa elimu nchini humo.
Ada hiyo imeongezwa kupitia mfumo wa kodi kwa wanafunzi waliohitimu vyuo vikuu, yaani mkopo ambao atapata mwanafunzi wakati anasoma baada ya masomo, malipo yake yatakuwa na ongezeko la riba. Aidha, Miliband amesema kuwa kuna umuhimu wa mawaziri kuifikiria upya sera hiyo kwani ni sawa na kuwanyima elimu wale wasio na uwezo na kuwasababishia wengine madeni makubwa ya ada.
Lakini Cameron anaeleza kuwa, hakuna njia nyingine ya kubadili sera hiyo ikiwa hayo ndiyo makubaliano yaliyokwisha kufikiwa kuhusu ada za wanafunzi hao.

Hata hivyo, hali hiyo ya kutokuelewana ilijitokeza baada ya waziri mwenye dhamana kutaja vipengele vya ongezeko la ada, kwa wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu nchini humo.
Kutokana na ongezeko hilo la ada kwa sasa wanafunzi wanatakiwa kulipa zadi ya sh. Milioni 13 tofauti na ada ya awali ya zaidi ya sh. 400,000.

Mjadala huo, ulijumuisha mambo mengine ikiwa ni pamoja na ongezeko la marejesho kufikia zaidi ya sh.milioni 22 kuanzia mwaka 2012 ili kuwawezesha wanafunzi wa muda kuomba mkopo ikiwa mwanafunzi anasoma robo mwaka na siyo theluthi mwaka kama ilivyokuwa imepangwa hapo mwanzo.
Moja kati ya maswali aliyoulizwa Waziri Mkuu juu ya ongezeko hili la ada ni swali kutoka kwa Miliband likihusisha madai kuwa wanaondoa mzigo huo kwa sekta za umma na kuupeleka kwa wanafunzi na familia zao.

"Jambo la msingi na la busara sana ni kufikiria tena upya kwa makini zaidi ili kupata wazo jingine zuri juu ya hilo,"alisema.
Hata hivyo, Cameron alijibu kuwa, Labour wamekuwa wa kwanza kukataa sera hiyo lakini wakati wakiwa madarakani na Gordon Brown waliwahi kuipendekeza.

Kufuatia maandamano ya hivi karibuni, ya wanafunzi wakipinga kupanda kwa ada na kuwekwa riba kwenye mikopo, Cameron alisema mawazo ya Miliband ni sawa na yale wanayotaka wanafunzi wengi.
Aliongeza kuwa, Miliband anaweza kufananishwa na kiongozi wa wanafunzi na ataendelea kuwa hivyo daima, kitu ambacho kinaonekana kupuuzana kwa wanasiasa hao.

Kwa upande wake, Miliband alikiri kuwa, aliwahi kuwa mwanasiasa akiwa mwanafunzi lakini ni bora ukilinganisha na mwanafunzi aliyewahi kufanya shughuli za mgahwa akitumia mfano wa Cameron ambaye aliwahi kuwa mwanachama wa klabu ya Bullingdon.

Pamoja na mjadala huo, mawaziri na wabunge wameombwa kukubali mabadiliko hayo, kwani itasaidia kuboresha mazingira na mfumo wa vyuo kwa kuwasaidia wale wasiojiweza.
Inaelezwa kuwa kwa kufanya hivyo, mtu akuhitimu akilipa zaidi ya ile aliyokopeshwa, itawasaidia hata wale wasio na uwezo kupata mkopo na kuendelea kusoma sawa na wengine.

Naibu Waziri Mkuu, Nick Clegg alitangaza kuwa mawaziri wote wapige kura ya kukubali ongezeko la marejesho ya mkopo wa ada kwa wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu kutoka zaidi y ash.400,000 hadi zaidi y ash. Milioni 13 iliyopendekezwa sasa.

Akizungumza na Shirika la Utangazaji la Uingereza (BBC), Clegg Alisema mawaziri wote wanatakiwa kukubalina na mpango huo kwani ni maafikiano ya mkutano uliojadili suala hilo, kwa lengo la kuboresha mfumo wa elimu vyuo vikuu nchini humo.

Aidha, Clegg amependekeza kuwa wabunge ambao hawajakubali sera hiyo, aidha waondolewe kwenye makubaliano au wajitoe kwenye zoezi la kupiga kura litakalofanyika.

Kutokana na kauli hiyo, inaonekana chama kitakuwa na makundi matatu, yaani wanaokubali sera, wanaoikataa na watakaojiondoa kwenye makubaliano ya sera.

Kimsingi, kabla ya kampeni za uchaguzi wa viongozi walipo madarakani, wanachama wa Chama cha Liberal Democratic walitia saini ya makubaliano ya ahadi zilizokuwa zimeandaliwa na Umoja wa Kitaifa wa Wanafunzi zikiwa na lengo la kupinga ongezeko lolote la ada.

Wakati sera ya taifa ni kukubali ongezeko la ada kutokana na makubaliano yaliyofanywa na na Chama cha Liberal Democratic ikiwa ni pamoja na mawaziri, wakati huohuo mawaziri wanaruhusiwa kujiondoa kwenye makubaliano ikiwa hawajaridhika. Tafsiri yake nini?.
Clegg aliwaambia wabunge kuwa alifikiri wangekuwa pamoja wakati huu mgumu lakini amegundua huo muungano haupo tena.

Kutofautiana huko kwa Liberal Democratic na Umoja wa Kitaifa wa Wanafunz kunaonyesha wazi mgawanyiko kati ya wanafunzi na wale mawaziri ambao watakubaliana na sera hiyo.
Kimsingi, kinachotaka kufanywa na Uingereza ni kile ambacho Juzi, bodi ya mikopo ya elimu ya juu nchini ilimlilia Waziri wa Elimu na Mafunzo ya Ufundi, Shukuru Kawambwa, ikimtaka serikali kuweka riba kwenye mikopo.

Hoja ya watendaji wa bodi hiyo inaegemea katika msingi kwamba fedha zinazorudishwa na waliokopa haziendani na thamani ya fedha ya wakati huo.
Lakini pia kuweka riba kutaongeza wingi wafedha ambazo zitasaidfia bodi hiyo kujiendesha ikiwa ni pamoja na kuwasaidia wanafunzi wengi kupata mikopo.

Lakini swali la kujiuliza ni kwamba kama riba itawekwa na kuongeza deni kwa mhitimu, atalimaliza lini kulilipa wakati anamaliza masomo na anakaa nyumbani miaka mitano bila kazi?.
Je, mfumo wetu wa kuwapatia ajira wanaomaliza elimu ya juu uko salama kiasi cha kuwa na uhakika wa mhitimu huyo kulipa ongezeko hilo?.
 
Solution sought for students loan woes

By ROSE ATHUMANI, 8th December 2010 @ 12:00, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 92

MINISTER for Education and Vocational Training (MoEV) Dr Shukuru Kawambwa has stressed that complaints issued by students, parents and the public about loans to students of higher education must be addressed.

President Jakaya Kikwete last month after inaugurating the University of Dodoma promised to form a special commission to review the entire system used for issuing loans to students of higher education and the management of the Loans Board.

Addressing the Higher Education Student Loan Board (HESLB) top brass during a visit to the institution on Wednesday, Dr Kawambwa promised to follow up on the formation of the commission that will review the loans board system and provide their report in the shortest time possible.

"We want to address these challenges as soon as possible so that we can find the best way possible for the benefits of the students and the whole nation," he explained.

The minister said addressing challenges facing the Loans Board would place it in a better position to disburse loans to students, noting that the governments' intention is to ensure quality education that will place students on equal levels within the East African region, Africa and internationally.

"I am not saying we are not at that level yet, we are there but there is always room for improvement and this can only be achieved by addressing emerging challenges," Dr Kawambwa said.

The minister pointed out that the ministry will also review the No. 9 Act of 2004 that established the HESLB to remove areas that impede the issuing of loans to students.

Earlier, presenting the HESLB report, the Institutions Executive Director, Mr George Nyatega said the Loans Board is expecting to disburse loans to 85, 319 students in this financial year, which is 62.8 per cent of 135, 801 the total of students in higher learning institutions.

A total of 237.8 bn/- was set aside to be loaned out to higher learning students, and a student is loaned about 3m/- per year.

Subsequently, 50, 482 students, about 37.2 per cent also taking higher education studies this year will not receive any loans due to budgetary constraints.

The minister was also told that the Loans Board has completed the process of making a database of all students loaned money for studies, and until 30th June 2010, a total of 48, 378 students were loaned a total of 51.1bn/- between 1994 and 20th June 2005.

Since 1994/95 to June 2010 a total of 630.6bn/- was loaned to students, whereby 51.1bn/- was issued through the then ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and 579.5bn/- was issued through the Loans Board.

As of 30th November 2010 the Loan Board managed to recover more than 5.6bn/- from graduates, instead of the 19.55bn/- which would have been the amount recovered to date if the graduates were paying as stipulated.

Mr Nyatega noted that in total the amount to be recovered since the loans were disbursed in 1994 to June 2010, is 80.96bn/- from 56, 801 beneficiaries.

Mr Nyatega mentioned challenges facing the institutions including many think the loans are grants from the government and so are not meant to be paid back, a bigger number of applicants for loans more than budgetary allocation of the institution and devaluation of the currency.

He commented that there was a need to use Value Retention Fee as the only way to ensure the value of the loans does not depreciate.
 
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