Over 12,000 Form 1 students yet to report in Kilifi

Coast regional commissioner John Elungata has directed chiefs and their assistants to look for 12,827 Form 1 students, who have not reported.

The secondary school students cannot be accounted for in Kilifi county.

Elungata told the administrators on Friday to identify all Form 1 student who have not been able to report and assist them.

He spoke during a stakeholders’ forum at Wakala girls’ secondary school in Kilifi county.

The commissioner said chiefs must play a key role in supporting the Ministry of Education to achieve the 100 per cent transition policy in the country.

So far, he said the Coast region is at 63 per cent Form 1 transition.

“Chiefs should stand firm on the issue of education, children have a right to basic education regardless of the economic status of their parents,” he said.

Elungata gave the chiefs up to mid-October to ensure that all Form 1 students report to school.

The regional commissioner said in Wakala girls’ school only 16 Form 1 students have reported, 34 others cannot be accounted for.

He was accompanied by the newly posted regional police commander Manase Musyoka, Kilifi county commissioner Kutswa Olaka together with other national government officials.

“The government is doing everything possible to provide the necessary infrastructure that will help learners acquire basic education, parents should make sure their children report to school even if they lack school uniform,’’he said.

Elungata told the Wakala location chief to begin an operation in his area with a view of smoking out the 34 students yet to report to school and gave him two weeks to complete the mission.

He said it was unfortunate that the Coast region is recording increased cases of teenage pregnancies which disrupt girls’ ambition to complete their education.

The RC said teenage pregnancies pose serious physical and psycho-social health challenges to the young girls.

“The courts should give the maximum jail sentence to any man identified by teenage pregnancy victims, as having impregnated them,” he said.

He said teenage mothers should ensure they go back to school after giving birth and continue with their education.

Elungata said the girls must be assisted to get education which is key in national development.

Olaka on his part said 35,857 students sat for their KCPE in Kilifi county and were supposed to transit to Form 1 however only 23,030 have reported.

The county commissioner said so far there are 12,827 Form 1 students who have not reported and cannot be accounted for.

“Chiefs and their assistants should get the names of the Form 1 students who have not reported and take them to their respective schools together with their parents so as to ensure we attain the 100 per cent transition,” he said.

Olaka said his office together with the National Government Administration Officers have launched a campaign to trace the students who have not reported to their schools.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)