Ongeri launches Form One selection
Education Minister Prof Sam Ongeri (left) flanked with his Permanent Secretary Prof James Ole kiyapi during the release of the 2010 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results at the Kenya National Examination Council offices. PHOTO / CORREPONDENT
What you need to know:
- New system will offer students from public schools a better chance of joining national institutions
At least 3,000 top performers of last year’s Standard Eight national exams will know the secondary schools they will join on Tuesday.
Education minister Sam Ongeri is expected to launch the selection at the Kenya Institute of Education in Nairobi.
He will hand over lists of the candidates who will join the country’s 18 national schools.
This year’s selection is computerised and is expected to take a shorter time.
Traditionally, the selection process has been based on quota system of education, where each part of the country has a share of sending candidates to the top national schools.
But on Tuesday, Education PS James ole Kiyiapi has promised a new criterion that would offer candidates from public schools a better chance of joining national schools.
Prof Kiyiapi has, however, not offered details of the system or how different it will be from the quota system whose main aim is to ensure candidates from all parts of the country access the national schools.
On Monday, Prof Kiyiapi said results of the selection will be posted on the Education ministry’s website www.education.go.ke immediately after the launch.
Candidates may also access the results by sending a short text message containing their respective index numbers and sending the details to 4042.
Results for candidates selected to provincial schools will be posted on the website on Thursday.
He did not give the exact date when details of candidates picked to join district schools will be posted.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman, Mr Cleophas Tirop, said the ministry should consider coming up with more national schools and centres for excellence.
He welcomed the new criterion to cater for disadvantaged candidates, saying it would address the issue of equity and fairness as entrenched in the Constitution.
“Do we train pupils then abandon them? We must create room for free primary education beneficiaries,” said Mr Tirop, adding that schools have been caught unprepared as the ministry had not made provisions for placement of more students.
He added that the free education beneficiaries, who get selected to schools with high fees, should get full bursaries.
