Parents in rush to beat deadline for learners’ PIN

Parents across the country were Monday evening racing against time to have vital documents to enable their school -going children register for personal identification numbers (PINs) ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

This, even as headteachers appealed to the government to consider extending the period, to enable schools conclude the exercise.

The National Education Management System (Nemis) registration targets learners in primary and secondary schools, their teachers as well as non-teaching staff in schools.

Starting this year, national examination candidates will use these identifiers instead of index number. 

The PINs are also meant to enable the ministry accurately account for resources allocated for free primary and secondary education.

NOT CONCLUDED

Kenya Secondary Schools heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli Monday said most schools had not concluded the registration.

“We need more time since parents have to approve the information that we have received so that we do not feed the government with wrong information,” said Mr Indimuli.

However, Kenya Primary School heads association (Kepsha) chairman Shem Ndolo said they have received an extension to March 30.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, could not be reached to verify this claim.

In Mombasa, chaos erupted at the Registrar of Person’s offices when hundreds of parents and learners seeking birth certificates stormed the offices.

Two women fainted due to the congestion at the offices as the less than ten birth registration officials struggled to serve the surging crowd. Police had to be called in to restore order.

In Nyeri, most parents left the local Huduma Centre disappointed after being turned away by agents who have been stretched by the high demand for the crucial documents. Nyeri Huduma Centre manager Deborah Mwarania said that the centre was overstretched and most parents would not beat the February 20 deadline.

In Kirinyaga County, a long queue meandered outside the Huduma Centre as parents streamed in to acquire the crucial documents.

The situation was the same in Tharaka Nithi, where desperate parents decried the slow pace at which birth certificates were being issued out at the Registrar of Persons offices in Chuka town.

CYBER CAFES

In Uasin Gishu County, parents flocked cyber cafes and registration offices for assistance. County Director of Education Nicodemus Anyang’ assured parents that no student will be locked out

In Turkana, Director of education Pius Ong’oma said that there was a crisis over lack of birth certificate for many children. Mr Ong’oma said that poor internet connectivity was another challenge.

In Kisumu, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) wants the government to extend the deadline for the exercise by four months to allow all the records to be captured.

Kisumu County Executive Secretary Zablon Awange raised concern that today’s deadline could lock out many children due to the stalling of the network during registration.