Affirmative action gifts students from slums top secondary slots
Affirmative action has been used to place students from informal settlements in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination to top secondary schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha yesterday said the candidates were the first to be placed, guaranteeing them their first choices in national schools.
“Through this, we placed 567 learners in their first-choice national schools. The further intervention was done by reserving an additional 314 places in national and extra county schools,” said the CS when he released the Form One selection and placement results at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Slums identified under this arrangement were from Thika, Nyeri, Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret.
“This is in line with a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta that we consider needy and vulnerable children from informal settlements in urban areas,” said the CS. With such interventions, a candidate like Kimberly Grace with 368 marks from Mji wa Huruma slums will join Kenya High School, Nairobi.
“I am happy to get this opportunity and will work hard when I get there. I wanted to go to Kenya High but never thought that such a chance would arise,” said an ecstatic Grace.
Another beneficiary is Christopher Mang’era, who scored 279 marks from Kilimani Integrated School. He has been admitted to Thika School for the Blind.
“It is a happy day for me for being placed in Thika School for the Blind. I did not expect that, but due to God’s plan I have found a place,” he said.
The CS said some 9,000 learners will benefit from the Elimu Scholarship Programme, 4,000 of whom will be from slums. “The aim is to enable many learners to break the glass ceiling and liberate their families,” he said.
The CS added that bursaries and scholarships should be given to students admitted to boarding schools since day schooling is free. He called for proper coordination of the National Government Constituency Development Fund.
(NG-CDF) bursaries
He said well-wishers are encouraged to help cover the costs of other non-tuition expenses such as school uniforms and personal effects for needy pupils.
Prof Magoha called for proper coordination of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursaries to cover learners with the greatest need.
