Form One and JSS learners mop-up drive takes shape

The government quest to achieve 100 per cent transition in secondary school is yet to bear fruit in many schools across the country as government officials embark on a mission to trace missing candidates.

Weeks after admission commenced, several students are yet to take their Form One slots in various schools.

According to the Ministry of Education guideline, Form One students were scheduled to report to school between February 6 and 13.

Late last month, the government launched a nation-wide mop-up exercise to ensure all Form One and Grade Seven learners report to school immediately.

During the launch, Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, and his Interior counterpart, Kithure Kindiki, directed National Government administrators to comb their areas of jurisdictions and round up all learners who are yet to report to school.

Machogu revealed 92 per cent of the 1.2 million learners who sat last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Primary Schools Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams have reported to their respective schools leaving only eight per cent (96,000 ) still yet to turn up.

“Education is free and compulsory and that is why we are insisting on full transition and that is why we are monitoring the registration of students in Junior Secondary Secondary (JSS) and Form One admission,” Machogu said.

Against this backdrop, the state officials in various counties are holed up in door-to-door campaigns to fish out the missing students.

In Homa Bay County, 94.8 per cent of learners have joined form one as efforts to trace those missing out are underway.

The County Commissioner, Moses Lilan, said an extensive mop up campaign is ongoing to establish the whereabouts of the learners who are yet to report to school.

Parents warned

Lilan says education officials in collaboration with officers from the Interior Ministry are combing the villages to see that no child who sat the KCPE exam is left to stay at home. “We have embarked on a serious mission to ensure that all learners who have not reported to school get admitted before the process ends,” he told Scholar.

The administrator warned that parents who fail to avail their children to school will be prosecuted, noting that the government is spending a lot of money in the payment of capitation for learners.

He says the government and education partners are facilitating access to education through the secondary school capitation programme, NG-CDF bursaries, county government bursaries and scholarships.

“Parents have no reason for not taking their children to school. In the event we find any parent or guardian has not facilitated the child to go to school, they will be held to account because we have all options to assist the child access education,” Lilan said, noting that Homa Bay has surpassed 100 per cent in JSS admission.

He added, “Any child who is still at home with an excuse that there is no money is at the height of carelessness of their parents. We will have no other recourse other than to prosecute anyone found not to have taken their children to school.”

In Migori county, 95 per cent of of Form One students have reported as authorities mount up efforts to fish out those still out of school.

County Commissioner Michael Mwangi says they are keen to ensure all the students are admitted in line with the government’s policy to have every student transit to Form One and JSS.

He, however, says the county has recorded a higher enrolment in JSS, which stands at 101 per cent. “We will continue the mop up exercise until all the targeted students get admitted. We don’t want to leave any child who is of age at home,” he said.

Similarly, the commissioner directed parents with children meant to join high school to ensure they are taken to school, warning that they risk being prosecuted if they failed to comply.

“Parents have the obligation to take their children to school because the government is providing the necessary support through capitation funding. We will arrest those whose children are not in school and make them face the law,” he explained.

Rebecca Odhiambo, programmes officer at Canadian Harambee Education Society (CHES), a non-governmental organisation based in Kakamega County says access to basic education in secondary school among needy students is weighed down by the cost of admission requirements and the challenge of fees payment.

Odhiambo points out that the heavy financial burden parents have to bear before they have their children join secondary schools is a source of discouragement.

Notably, she claims that some schools have introduced extra levies, which is making education an expensive affair, particularly to learners from poor family backgrounds.

For example, she says certain secondary schools have introduced additional charges for the construction of infrastructure such as dormitories to accommodate growing student population.

Unnecessary levies

Still, she says parents are expected to pay other unofficial charges including welfare fees and extra cost for uniforms (jumpers and tracksuits).

“Apart from the school fees, needy students are denied a chance to pursue their dreams in education through hefty extra levies imposed on the parents. They are required to pay unnecessary charges for things which they can do without and they still become comfortable in school,” she explains.

She feels that some of the admission requirements should be scrapped off to ease the burden on parents and promote access to basic education. “Some schools are sneaking in charges for things that don’t really matter and this has become a burden to most parents, especially in those in low to middle income category,” says offers.

To deal with the situation, she urges that relevant government agencies be firm and ensure that necessary action is taken against schools that are charging the extra money.

And to enhance access to education among the needy students, the organisation has awarded scholarships to 50 girls in Kakamega and Vihiga counties who sat last year’s KCPE.

Odhiambo says the girls will be put on 85 per cent school fees and uniforms assistance, to help them realise their dreams in education.

While agreeing that most students are vulnerable and need support to complete their education, Odhiambo blames lack of awareness among some parents on how they can access education support for their needy children.