Extended Form One admission to close Wednesday

Last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination candidates have until today to join their secondary schools of choice.

This is after the government extended reporting dates from January 12 to 17, after students failed to report on time in a number of regions.

“Consequently, replacements (of those who will not have reported) will be made on Friday,” Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ said in a circular dated January 12 and addressed to education officials across the country.

SCHOOL

Those selected during the replacement exercise will be expected to report by January 23, he added.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli expressed confidence that all candidates will report to school.

“Reporting time was too close to start of the year after holiday festivities and most parents were not prepared,” he said, adding that principals are ready to admit all students who turn up.

The government had promised that all the 993,718 candidates, who sat last year’s examination, would join Form One.

It had expected that some 903,200 students would join public secondary schools while the remaining enrol in private schools

However, this has not been the case, with a number of schools registering a poor turnout.

For instance, Dukana Boys Secondary School in Marsabit County has admitted only three students as others in the region struggled to fill vacancies.

PARENTS

Mr Jaro Mamo said he took his son to the school for admission but withdrew him saying he could not allow the boy to stay in a class of three.

The school is on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, in North Horr sub-county and accessibility is difficult. Mr Mamo said he had transferred his son to Bubisa Boys.

In Vihiga County, more than 6,000 students admitted to join Form One have not reported.

County Director of Education Victoria Mulili said 6,141 children whose admission letters had been dispatched were yet to report to school.

Ms Mulili urged parents to take advantage of the extension of the reporting time that ends today.

In Kuria, scores of schools have registered low enrolment compared to last year. At Kugitimu Mixed Secondary School in Kuria East, 20 students out of 80 had reported by Tuesday.

REGION

At St Joseph Ntimaru Secondary School in the same region, 30 students had been enrolled. The school has a capacity of 120 students.

“Pupils are trickling in. We are hopeful that by the end of the term, we will have many of them,” said a teacher at Ntimaru. Nyabohanse Girls’, one of the national schools in Migori, continues to experience low enrolment.

In Kwale County, officials reported a slight improvement in the number of students joining form one after the extension of deadline. Last Friday, only 754 students had reported to local schools, against 5,568 slots.

However, County Education Director Bridgit Wambua on Tuesday said 3,966 students had been admitted to various schools.

“We are progressing well and I hope by close of business tomorrow we shall have all the students in their respective schools,” she said.

In Tana River County, the drought ravaging the area has been cited as one of the key factors contributing to low turnout. The areas affected include Titila, Bangale and Gururi.

ADMITTED

In Tharaka-Nithi County, 69 per cent of Form One students had reported to by Monday. County director of Education Ms Ann Kiilu, however, says they expect the number to go up.

In Meru, many schools reported that students invited for admission had been admitted.

By Monday, Laikipia County had achieved a 64 per cent transition rate as indicated by the County Director of Education Yusuf Jilo.

In Nyandarua County, most secondary schools had by yesterday morning attained their admission capacity. School heads said they had turned away tens of students due to lack of space in their institutions.

In Narok, however, there was concern over low absorption with a small number of Form One students reporting. In the North Rift, most schools have concluded Form One admission even as others grapple with high turnout of parents seeking slots.

Reports by Ouma Wanzala, Fadhili Fredrick, Stephen Oduor, Derick Luvega, Nyaboga Kiage, Vivere Nandiemo, Alex Njeru, Isabel Githae, Ndung’u Gachane, Mwangi Ndirangu, Irene Mugo, Waikwa Maina, George Sayagie, Wycliff Kipsang, Flora Koech and Gerald Bwisa