26,000 Form Ones unaccounted for
Education CS Prof Magoha at St.Monica Chakol Girls High School in Busia County where he admitted the three learners following a door to door campaign to find those who were yet to join Form One.
More than 26,000 learners have not yet reported for Form One admission, data from the Ministry of Education shows.
The new details have emerged after Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha closed the “mop-up” exercise for learners who have not reported to school.
Although Prof Magoha said that the ministry had accounted for all the learners, the figures he gave have a discrepancy of 26,564 learners whose whereabouts have not been explained.
The figures given by Prof Magoha only account for a total of 1,144,701 learners out of the 1,171,265 students selected to join Form One in various schools.
In total, 1,179,192 candidates sat the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination. However, 7,927 prisoners and refugees who sat the examination were not placed in the 100 per cent transition policy.
Prof Magoha only accounted for 15,064 learners who did not report and gave reasons.
The CS said that so far, a total of 1,129,637 students, representing 98 per cent, have reported to various secondary schools.
Of the students who did not report to Form One, the CS said, a total of 1,193 “either moved away from their homes or are deceased”. A total of 2,658 others have repeated while 11,213 learners have joined technical and vocational education and training institutions (TVET).
“We have managed to account for 100 per cent of the more than 1.76 million candidates who were selected to join secondary schools. 1,129,637 have been placed in public and private schools,” said Prof Magoha.
Only 17 counties recorded 100 per cent transition, with 11 recording more than 100 per cent.
“Counties that recorded more than 100 per cent transition rate imply that they admitted all their 2020 KCPE candidates, and exceeded the number by accepting others from other counties,” said Prof Magoha
The counties that exceeded 100 per cent include, Tana River, Lamu, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kakamega, Homabay, Nyamira, Migori, Wajir, Isiolo and Mandera.
Those that recorded 100 per cent transition include Mombasa, Tharaka-Nithi, Samburu, Bomet, Kisumu and Kisii.
“I wish to commend the Asal (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) areas which have reported high transition rates compared with many other well-endowed counties,” said the CS. Prof Magoha cautioned secondary school principals against sending learners home for school fees.
“When you have a child who is notoriously failing to meet school fees payment, visit their home. You may end up calling for a funds drive to assist some of the children. I have come face to face with poverty as I visited the homes of candidates in my mop up exercise especially in the slums,” he told school heads.
