140,000 to join county schools

About 140,000 out of the total number of youths who sat for Standard Eight national exam last year will be admitted to county— formerly called provincial— schools.

Some 75,431 boys and 63,048 girls will fill the vacancies in this category of schools countrywide, according to the selection done on Tuesday.

The schools will draw 40 per cent of their students outside the counties where they are located in new guidelines announced by the government this year.

Another 40 per cent will be selected from the host county while the rest will come from the immediate counties.

“This bold move is aimed at promoting national integration and social cohesion among the Kenyan people,” Education minister Sam Ongeri said last week during the national schools selection.

Some 64,411 pupils who sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam in Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia will join Form One in public secondary schools, according to Western Provincial Director of Education Kenneth Misoi.

Private schools and other institutions are expected to admit 30,080 students.

Mr Misoi said that 1,166 students from the four counties had been admitted to the 48 national schools. (READ: Public schools get 6,600 Form I slots)

The director, who spoke at Kakamega High School, said investigations into examination irregularities reported in 35 schools and involving 1,166 pupils in the region had also been completed and a report would be released soon.

He told secondary school heads who had been transferred to report to their new stations instead of wasting time trying to resist the changes.

Elsewhere, 126,347 pupils (54,838 boys and 71,509 girls) from Rift Valley qualified to join secondary schools, according to the Provincial Director of Education, Ms Beatrice Adu.

She warned teachers abetting cheating in exams and those who sexually abused learners to stop engaging in the vices.

Reported by Benjamin Muindi, Benson Amadala and Eddy Ngeta.