Government efforts to achieve 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school might fail because of a poor enrolment in Form One in some counties.
The 993,718 candidates who sat last year’s KCPE exam were expected to have reported to secondary schools by yesterday while those chosen in the second selection are expected to have reported by January 23.
However, despite the government announcing Free Day Secondary education, extending the period for enrolment and introducing day wings in some top boarding schools, the turnout in some regions is raising eyebrows with the government now considering a door-to-door mechanism to ensure students go to school.
Sources from the Ministry of Education revealed national schools and extra-county schools led in the enrollment process with Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu and Kirinyaga counties recording more than 75 percent enrolment.
However, coastal counties, Isiolo, Marsabit among other arid counties were still struggling with poor enrollment recorded.
At the Coast, only 30 per cent of Form One students have reported to secondary schools. In Kwale High, for instance, only 57 students out of over 200 students offered admission at the school have reported.
In Samburu county, the enrollment stood at approximately 43 per cent despite Free Secondary Education.
According to Samburu county commissioner Alfred Kinyua, the low numbers in the county due to lack of information on the government offering free secondary education in day schools.
Kinyua said despite the Form One reporting deadline, secondary schools in the county still had 4,535 Form One slots unfilled.
According to statistics, Samburu Central has the highest enrolment at 1,148 students out of 2,038 slots, Samburu East was second with 267 students reporting out of 675 slots, while Samburu North recorded the lowest enrollment at 235 students