Management expected to improve in new student ID system
A teacher shows Standard One pupils at Sparki Primary School in Mombasa how to use digital tablets on May 3, 2016. The ministry of Education is about to eliminate index numbers and issue Unique Personal Identifiers to all learners. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) will facilitate financial management of schools.
- Further, Dr Matiang’i said the UPIs will also guide the government in the allocation of funds to schools to ensure equity in the capitation per learner.
The ministry of Education will get rid of index numbers and assign learners unique registration numbers in the next two weeks.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at Murang’a Teachers Training College, Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) will facilitate financial management of schools.
"I wish to announce that the ministry is in the process of ensuring that every learner has a unique identifier by March 10, 2017. For KCPE and KCSE candidates this year, index numbers will be replaced by the UPIs," Dr Matiang’i said.
During the release of the KSCE results in December last year, Dr Matiang'i said his ministry had received instructions from President Uhuru Kenyatta to eliminate index numbers to make it easier to manage educational data.
The adoption of UPIs is one measure aimed at reforming education.
Also, a pilot project of the new curriculum is set to be unveiled this year.
Upon enrolment, children will be issued with a six-character number that they will use during their entire school life.
The number will be their identification at the ministry from primary school to university.
"Going forward, every student in Kenya will have a globally unique six character Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) for life. This UPI will be used at every stage of the student’s education," he added.
Further, Dr Matiang’i said the UPIs will also guide the government in allocating money to schools to ensure equity.
He also disclosed that a formula is being worked out to enable the Teachers Service Commission to register nursery school teachers.
The pre-primary teachers, under the new plan, will also be trained together with primary school teachers.
The plan intends to move Early Childhood Development Education teachers from the current District Centres for Early Childhood Education (DICECE) to primary school teachers’ training colleges.
"I intend to have ECDE teacher-training moved from DICECE centres to primary teacher training colleges during the course of this year.
"Qualified ECDE teachers will be registered by the Teachers Service Commission and will be eligible for employment."
