Officials to hunt for truant Form 1s

The Ministry of Education will from Monday start hunting down students who sat the 2020 KCPE exam but did not report to Form 1.

The countrywide search will be supervised by Education CS George Magoha. 

The exact number was not known. 

Ministry communications officer Kennedy Buhere said Magoha will be accompanied by officials from the Ministries of Education and Interior.

The hunt is meant to ensure 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school.

Director for secondary education Paul Kibet said most counties recorded impressive Form 1 admission by the close of official reporting a week ago. 

He said government was committed to ensure 100 per cent  transition for all learners who sat the KCPE examination. 

Kibet said government will ensure all eligible leaners report to Form 1 in their nearest day secondary school. 

“Learners in day secondary schools don’t pay anything to the schools. Hence, children whose parents are poor should access secondary education without any burden on parents,” he said.

The director said ministry officials will work with National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) to find learners who had not reported to secondary schools as expected.

The ministry had extended Form 1 admission by one week. The process was to have ended on August 13.

Secondary schools are facing a surge in the number of students, to almost 3.3 million, posing a challenge to infrastructure.

The first term of the 2021-22 academic year has 10 weeks and a  one-week holiday as students transit to the second term.

All 1.15 million students who sat their KCPE exams in March this year are expected to get Form 1 slots in secondary schools to achieve 100 per cent transition.

The government released Sh2.62 billion for public primary schools and Sh14.85 billion for public secondary schools.

The funding is intended to support learning for term one and ensure 100 per cent transition for Form 1. 

(Edited by V. Graham)