Catholic bishops urge govt to address Form One selection crisis

Education officials and stakeholders at the launch of Form One selection on January 20, 2015. Catholic bishops have called on the government to review the current selection process following an outcry from various stakeholders. PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Following the selection process, there was public outcry that the process was flawed.
  • The bishops said some students might face challenges in high school as the criteria used in the selection process did not put into consideration their individual performance.
  • At the same time, the bishops said that the government must not be seen discriminate against pupils from private schools.
  • They called on the ministry to implement various reports that remain unused yet they could help transform education in Kenya.

Catholic bishops have called on the government to urgently address the controversy resulting from the 2015 Form One selection process following an outcry from various stakeholders.

Critics have said the selection process was flawed and that some pupils with high marks missed slots in national and extra-county schools.

In a statement issued through the Commission for Education and Religious Education, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Ministry of Education not to “treat the matter casually and dismissively as it could have serious implications on the future of this country”.

They said private schools that were established to help children from low-income backgrounds access education were not considered during the recent selection process.

CONSIDER INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE

The bishops said some students might face challenges in high school as the criteria used in the selection process did not take into account their individual performance.

“In one of our schools, for instance, the (lowest-scoring) student admitted had 183 marks and the highest 408 marks.

"This begs the question: Is it useful to have a student with 183 marks in the same class with a student who attained 408 marks?

"How will one teach students with such a big disparity? It is true that schools have different opportunities but it is not the children’s fault,” read the statement signed by Bishop Maurice Makumba.

At the same time, the bishops said that the government must not be seen to discriminate against pupils from private schools.

“We reiterate that there are no private and public children - all are our children, and not all pupils studying in private schools come from rich backgrounds – many poor parents sacrifice to give their children a better education by sending them to private schools,” the bishops said.

They also called on the Education ministry to expose persons and schools found to be engaged in examination malpractices and take stern measures against them.

The controversy in the education sector, the bishops said, had been caused by populist education policies that put more emphasis on quantity rather than quality.

They called on the ministry to implement recommendations contained in various reports that remain unused but could help transform education in Kenya.