Alarm over high drop-out rate

The number of students dropping out of secondary schools is worrying, an official has said.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Chairman John Awiti said at least 37,900 students who joined Form One in 2011 did not sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam last year.

He was responding to an announcement made by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi on Tuesday on the staggering number of students dropping out of school.

The CS called for decisive measures to reverse the trend.

“A figure of 37,900 students is too high, not to mention the large number of primary school graduates who miss places in secondary schools.

“Headteachers cannot afford to ignore this. Even though the issue is complex and many factors contribute to it, this is no excuse for us not to act,” said Mr Awiti.

He said in 2011, 521,000 students were admitted into secondary schools.

But out of these, 483,630 sat the national examination last year, representing an overall decrease of 37,971 students.

EXPERT INTERVENTION

Prof Kaimenyi said the high dropout rate is a challenge that requires expert intervention.

“This is a matter of great concern to the ministry when you consider the huge resources that the government has invested in secondary school education,” he said.

The CS directed the Education Standards and Quality Assurance Council to investigate the factors that hinder students from completing secondary education.

According to the ministry of Education Communication Officer Kennedy Buhere, the council has previously investigated the reasons behind the rising dropouts in primary schools.

“One of the main reasons highlighted by the CS is the retrogressive cultural practices that still plague the education of children, especially among the pastoralist communities,” he said.

“You will notice from the statistics in regions such as the northeast that the girl-child dropouts is often more than the boy-child. Many of them get married off,” said Mr Buhere.