Kampala — Makerere University Chancellor Prof. Mondo Kagonyera wants the Government sponsorship scheme in public universities scrapped, and replaced with one which caters for poor students only.

Kagonyera argued that the Government scheme is benefiting children from well-to-do families who attend top schools, while the under privileged students who go to rural schools cannot compete for the limited places.

Kagonyera pointed out that he would be glad to see a poor student access government support to attend university; than his child getting a scholarship, yet he can afford to pay the tuition.

He was speaking at a breakfast meeting organised to celebrate the success of the Makerere Female Scholarship Initiative at the Sheraton Hotel, Kampala on Thursday.

The initiative started in 2001 with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, to offer scholarships to females from disadvantaged backgrounds to access higher education. However, the 10-year programme is winding up in June next year.

Prof. Lillian Ekirikubinza, the acting vice-chancellor of Makerere University, said the initiatiative had increased girls' enrolment in university from 40% in 2000, to 46% in 2008.

Also, 691 female students mainly, from underprivileged rural and slum communities, have accessed sponsorship, according to Ekirikubinza.

Although the initiative has contributed to overall female enrolment, Ekirikubinza pointed out that gender balancing in the science discipline is still lagging behind, with only 27% of science students being females.

Catherine Kanabahita, the Makerere Gender Mainstreaming Division head, appealed to the Government to intervene and support the initiative when the funding ends next year.