Transition to secondary schools begins

Admissions for the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination candidates to the over 10,000 secondary schools will commence today.

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof George Magoha, has assured that the over 1 million candidates, who sat the exam will be admitted to secondary schools in line with the government’s 100 per cent transition policy.

Last week, the ministry changed the opening date for Form Ones to May 4 occasioned by gazetting of May 3 as a public holiday.

Economic times

“The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior has gazetted May 3 as a public holiday, which is the date the Form One students were expected to report. Consequently, it has been decided that the reporting date for Form One students will be from May 4,” said the ministry in a circular dated April 27 to Regional and County Directors of Education.

The Form One candidates are joining a week after the rest of the classes resumed learning, even as the government insists that it will work with the local administration to ensure that all of them report to school.

The ministry has said it will work with other government agencies to ensure that no candidate misses a place in secondary school. Officials from the education ministry will be required to file accurate daily returns on the status of reporting to schools.

Parents/guardians and school managers are expected to facilitate smooth admission of all children to secondary schools.

Yesterday, some parents were in a last minute rush to prepare their children to report to their new secondary schools.

Parents have been complaining of exorbitant amounts charged by some schools for learners joining Form One, but are optimistic that all will run smoothly despite the harsh economic times

In most cases, the schools either referred the parents to select uniform distributors from where they are required to source the uniform for the new school entrants.

In other cases, the schools directed that the Form Ones would only buy the uniform at the school when they report.

The outraged parents took to social media platforms to register their disapproval of the move by the schools to charge as much as Sh30,000 for uniforms.

Some parents have however said that they have had to look for alternative uniform outlets.

“I looked at the list and prices provided by the school and felt it was beyond my reach, so I had to look for an alternative. We have made sure that the uniform has the appropriate shade and in the long run, I have saved at least Sh8,000 which will pay part of the school fees instead,” a parent whose child is joining Form One in a school in Nairobi said yesterday.

Already, the Ministry of Education has made a call to needy and vulnerable students joining Form One to apply for the Elimu scholarship.

Vulnerable learners

Some 9,000 needy and vulnerable learners who scored 280 marks and above out of the possible 500 marks in the 2021 KCPE exams, are eligible to apply.

“Only candidates who sat KCPE from public primary schools in all 47 counties in the country are eligible to apply,” the Ministry has said, in a public notice.

For affirmative action, candidates who are orphans and those with special needs and disabilities who attained below 280 marks may be considered.

Learners who also qualify are those whose parents are persons with disabilities, which compromises their ways of meeting financial obligations for their children and whose families are affected by HIV/Aids and other chronic illnesses with debilitating effects, that could render parents and guardians destitute thus unable to fend for their children.

The ministry has urged applicants to submit duly filled forms, including supporting documents by close of business this Friday.