New Form One selection rules

Five top Standard Eight candidates from each sub-county in the country — whether in public or private schools — will get automatic admission to national schools next year.

This is part of new guidelines on Form One admission that were launched on Thursday by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi.

A task force that came up with the rules was constituted by Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang in July to address the concerns of private schools on Form One selection.

The guidelines raise the number of students from sub-counties who will join national schools from three to five.

The 103 national schools have now been grouped into four clusters, based on their infrastructure and human resources. Candidates will be expected to choose one from each cluster.

The top three candidates to join national schools will be selected first across all sub-counties, and then the remaining two according to candidature strength.

ALLOCATION RULES

“The rest of the candidates in each sub-county will then be selected based on candidature strength between public and private schools,” say the guidelines.

In extra-county schools, pupils from public schools will secure 70 per cent of the admission, while the remaining 30 per cent will be from private schools.

Currently, admission is based on a 50:50 ratio for both public and private schools.

All public secondary schools have now been classified as either national, extra-county, county or sub-county schools.

The selection of candidates to extra-county schools will be based on the ratio of 20:40:40, where 20 per cent is reserved for the host sub-county, 40 per cent for the host county and 40 per cent for other counties.

“In addition to its 20 per cent allocation, the host sub-county shares in the county’s allocation of 40 per cent. The sub-county quota in the host county in an extra-county school is based on its candidature strength,” say the guidelines.

MERIT AND CHOICE

The document says available places in county schools will be shared out between sub-counties in the ratio of 20:80. Twenty per cent of places will be reserved for the host sub-county and 80 per cent for the host county and shared out equitably among all the sub-counties therein.

The selection for the sub-county school category will be 100 per cent from the host sub-county based on merit and choice

“Candidates will choose three extra-county schools; one of the choices must be from outside the host county of their primary school, to promote national cohesion and integration. Candidates not placed in national schools will be considered for placement in extra-county schools by order of their choice,” say the guidelines.

The document also states that candidates who are not selected into national or extra-county schools will be considered for placement in any of their three county school choices. They will be considered for placement in order of the three choices.

Schools have been advised to engage directly with parents and children who wish to be considered in the event of some vacancies arising in a bid to lock out middlemen, who are known to demand cash for vacancies.