Officials in Meru looking for missing KCPE candidates

Candidates write their KCPE exams at Wabera Primary School on March 22, 2021. Education officials in Meru were Sunday still look for 933 KCPE candidates who failed to resume learning when schools reopened following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

Photo credit: Waweru Wairimu | Nation Media Group

Education officials in Meru were Sunday in last minute efforts trying to look for 933 KCPE candidates who failed to resume learning when schools reopened following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

County Director of Education Milton Nzioka said 487 girls and 446 boys failed to report back to school and consistent efforts to trace them had borne no fruit.

He, however, expressed optimism that the candidates would turn up to sit their exams and that they would not be barred.

100 percent transition

“We are still hoping that they will resurface and sit their examinations because they were registered. We are also encouraging all candidates even those with any challenge to turn up and they will be accorded support. There are those who have delivered or are still pregnant and we have also facilitated them to sit their exams. We have a policy of 100 per cent transition and we must ensure they sit their exams,” said Mr Nzioka.

Mr Nzioka also said the county has registered 47,328 candidates in the 11 sub-counties — 32,220 of them in public schools and 5,108 in private schools. 

He said the county's enrolment had increased and two new schools are presenting their first candidates.

Mr Nzioka said schools with an enrolment of less than 15 candidates had been merged with nearest centres.