Huge gaps in numbers of county high schools

What you need to know:

  • Tana River County, on the other hand, has only 21 secondary schools, the lowest in the country, followed by Samburu and Isiolo, each with 24.
  • Kenya National Examinations Council Secretary Joseph Kivilu last month said 937,467 candidates had been registered for the primary school final exam.
  • County schools, on the other hand, admit 60 per cent of students from their regions and 40 per cent from other counties.

Kakamega County has the largest number of secondary schools, according to recently released data.

It also has the highest number of students in secondary school.

The county has 408 secondary schools, with 116,732 students.

Tana River County, on the other hand, has only 21 secondary schools, the lowest in the country, followed by Samburu and Isiolo, each with 24.

The data released by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi on Tuesday exposes disparities in the distribution of secondary schools in the counties.

This is an indication that some of the candidates sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination next month will have an advantage in securing Form One places.

REGISTERED FOR EXAMS

Kenya National Examinations Council Secretary Joseph Kivilu last month said 937,467 candidates had been registered for the primary school final exam.

Other counties with an abundance of secondary schools are Nakuru (395), Machakos (390), Kitui (383), Meru (372), Kiambu (365), Kisii (360), Homa Bay (313), Murang’a (307) and Bungoma (306).

The figures include private secondary schools. Pupils in counties with many secondary schools will find it easier to secure Form One places since the admission formula adopted by the Education ministry says district schools can only enrol students from their regions.

County schools, on the other hand, admit 60 per cent of students from their regions and 40 per cent from other counties.

The data reveals that counties in the arid and semi-arid regions have the smallest number of secondary schools, and pupils who fail to secure the few available slots will have to be admitted outside their counties.

OUT OF SCHOOL
And with the transition rate of the country at 75 per cent, it means candidates who perform poorly in areas with few secondary schools have a slim chance of joining Form One.

The report shows that counties with the lowest number of secondary schools are Lamu (25), Marsabit (31), Turkana (37), Wajir (45) and Garissa (47).

According to the report, there are 2,331,697 students attending 8,734 secondary schools in the whole country.

The report said that of concern was that about 1.3 million children aged six to 13 are out of school.