- Affirmative action should take into account merit, the geographical distribution
- Students get admitted to their first choices if they merit them
On Monday Education CS George Magoha announced that all the 1.2 million candidates who sat the KCPE exam had been accommodated in the 9,200 schools across the country.
This is good news because it signifies 100 per cent transition to the next level of education.
The challenge now is for the ministry to ensure equity, inclusion and affirmative action in Form 1 placement in the interest of justice and fairness.
Previously undeserving candidates with low marks have been enrolled in prestigious national schools at the expense of qualified students.
This should not happen. Magoha should keep his promise to ensure candidates get admitted to their first choices if they merit.
This is particularly important because the new rules make it almost impossible to transfer to other schools if pupils and their parents do not like the institution a candidate has been placed in.
In terms of affirmative action, the CS should ensure deserving students from poor backgrounds are given bursaries.
Those from remote and less developed areas should be given lots of support so they too can have opportunities in life.
Quote of the Day: “To realise our dreams we must decide to wake up.”
Josephine Baker
The American-French entertainer and civil rights activist died on April 12, 1975