•The parents told Magoha to consider pupils in Kiambu who have attained marks to join national and extra-county schools and ensure that they join the schools within the county
Image: John Kamau
Parents in Kiambu have appealed to the Education ministry to consider placing learners in their schools of choice in the Form 1 selection.
The parents, while celebrating results scored by their children, urged Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to be fair to learners and place them in the schools they chose.
New Bambini school manager Jane Chege said that denying the pupils the opportunity to join their high schools of choice, even after attaining the required marks, will demoralise them.
“Our candidates performed really well because they are keen to join the schools they selected,"Chege said.
"Out of the 30 candidates we had, three scored over 400 marks with Emmanuel Kaberia emerging among the top four candidates countrywide."
She urged CS Magoha to ensure that all students who have attained the requisite marks to propel them to their schools of choice are not disappointed.
“We are requesting the ministry through the CS to abide by the learners’ school of choice.If a pupil selected Alliance High School and has merited he deserves to join the school,” Chege said.
Ndung’u Kanyingi whose son Ian Gathambiri scored 417 marks in the 2021 KCPE said that in the past years the selection exercise has been a distressing ordeal.
He said it was heartbreaking to parents and pupils for them to miss out on slots in their schools of choice.
“It’s our humble appeal to the Education ministry that our children get slots in the schools they selected.They have done their work of attaining the marks required,” Ndung’u said.
The parents told Magoha to consider pupils in Kiambu who have attained marks to join national and extra-county schools and ensure that they join the schools within the county.
Some of the national schools in Kiambu include Alliance Boys, Alliance Girls, Mang’u High, Mary Hill Girls, Limuru Girls and Loreto High School.
Extra county schools include Thika Boys High school, Chania Boys, Chania Girls, St Francis Girls and Kiambu High school.
“Kiambu pupils who did well in the KCPE should be given first priority in the placement of form ones in the national and extra-county schools in the area," Reverend Ngoima Memorial school principal Simon Wachira said.
"Sending these pupils to other counties miles away from their homes is traumatising to both the parent and the pupil.”
Wachira said that pupils from public schools in the country had an exemplary performance and told the ministry to ensure that all pupils get equal opportunities in the form one slots.
“They are all our children and should be given equal opportunity so that they can join their schools of choice given that they are merited by their performance,” he said.
Paul Kaberia whose son Emmanuel Kaberia scored 426 marks at New Bambini School pleaded with the Ministry to save parents the hustle of taking their kids to schools far from home.
Emmanuel is looking forward to join Alliance Boys High School and thereafter pursue Aeronautical Engineering course at the University of Nairobi.
Other candidates who excelled in their examinations include Ephraim Kega (416 marks), Mercy Wangeci (415) marks, Stephen Muhando (410) and Loise Mbau (407).
They all attributed their success to their faith in God and prayers, hard work and support from their teachers and parents.
“The journey has been tough but with prayers and relentless support from able teachers and our parents we have made it,” Kaberia said.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)