Top KCPE candidates in each district to join national schools

The top two boys and girls from each district in this year’s Standard Eight national exams will be admitted to national schools in new Form One selection guidelines released this month.

The rule will be implemented regardless of whether a candidate sits exams in a public or private school.

The new rules will affect the 800,000 candidates sitting their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams next week.

They are contained in a November 2 circular released by acting Education Permanent Secretary George Godia.

The circular also shows that the quotas between private and public schools will still be upheld.

“The guidelines are aimed at ensuring proportionate sharing of national school places between public and private candidates in a district based on strength of their candidature,” it says.

By last year, there were 48 national schools.

Affirmative action

Prof Godia said 30 new national schools have been elevated in the current financial year, bringing the total number to 78.

According to the guidelines, national schools will admit students from all parts of the country, irrespective of their county of location.

Other than the top two candidates from either gender who will join national schools, each district will also be given a quota of additional candidates that will be selected to the institutions.

“When a district misses a slot due to low candidature, affirmative action will be applied,” says the circular. Prof Godia said an additional 27 schools have been earmarked for elevation to national schools in the next financial year.

This year, the 27 schools will be called “extra-county” schools and will admit 40 per cent of their Form One students from all parts of the country.

They will pick another 40 per cent of candidates from within their counties while the rest will come from the districts that are hosting the schools.

According to the circular, municipalities and their hosting districts will share 40 per cent of the places meant for county schools in their regions based on their candidature.

The municipalities affected are Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika and Kitale.

All current day schools and former provincial schools with a day wing will select all their Form One candidates from the districts where they are located.

Prof Godia opened a window for candidates who sat the KCSE over the past two years, but failed to join Form One to re-enter the school system.

But they will be selected during the replacement of those candidates who fail to take up places in the first selection.

The five schools that usually select their new students before the actual selection date will be allowed to continue doing so.

These are Starehe Boys, Starehe Girls, Moi Forces Academy Nairobi, Moi Forces Lanet and Utumishi Academy.

Choose four schools

All candidates are allowed to choose four national schools when registering for their KCPE examinations. They also choose three county schools. Of these, two must be from within the county, while one is selected from other regions.

“The three schools are treated in the order of selection as presented by the candidate,” Prof Godia said. Schools will be required to take up 45 new students per stream, according to the circular.

The circular said results of this year’s KCPE will be released on January 31, a month after the usual date.

This was forced upon the country following the extension of Third Term dates after teachers boycotted work for nearly three weeks to push the government into increasing their salaries.

The Form One selection lists for national schools will be released on February 7, less than a month before the General Election.