All candidates must join Form One, says Magoha

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has cautioned parents against failing to take their children to school, saying all candidates who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination must join secondary school.

Speaking in Nyeri County on Wednesday, the CS said the ministry will follow up on all the candidates, including those that may have been married off, to ensure 100 per cent transition is attained.

STERN ACTION

“We shall go after the parents and they will tell us why the children are not in school. If we find the children, we will take them to school ourselves and we will do it forcibly,” he said.

He warned that stern action would be taken against parents who keep their children away from school.

“We will go for the parents of children who may have been married off early and forcibly take the children to school to ensure that all Class Eight candidates transit to secondary school,” he said.

Local administrators will be roped in as part of efforts to enforce the 100 per cent transition.

“We will work with chiefs and other local administrators to spot the children who are not in school,” he added.

Last year, close to one million Standard Eight leavers joined Form One, which brought the government within touching distance of its goal to achieve 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school.

IMPROMPTU VISIT

The Cabinet Secretary was making an impromptu visit to the homes of bright but needy children at Witemere slums in Nyeri town who are set to benefit from the National Government’s Elimu Fund.

“What I wanted to confirm is that justice has been done and the needy child has been identified.

“I was doing a personal audit and I found that the children that I visited this morning are very needy and deserving,” the minister said.

The Sh3 billion initiative was launched by the government last year and seeks to offer full scholarships to 9,000 candidates who sat their KCPE examination last year.

It is expected to benefit candidates from 110 disadvantaged sub-counties and 15 urban centres with informal settlements. In Nyeri township, 35 students are set to benefit from the fund.

VULNERABLE CANDIDATES

“The President directed that we give at least 30 per cent of these scholarships to children in urban slums and it will also happen next year and other years to come to ensure no child is out of school,” Prof Magoha added.

The initiative considers candidates who obtained 280 marks and above from public primary schools in the targeted areas and vulnerable candidates like orphans, or those with special needs and disabilities who scored below 280 marks.

“The fund is meant to ensure that the very best students are able to join high school even if they are from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Prof Magoha said.