The postponement of Form 1 selection leaves a bad taste in the mouth of parents and makes learners jittery over the fairness of the process.
Parents had figured out that the two months after announcement would be enough time to assemble the resources necessary for learners to join Form 1. Postponement defeats the purpose for real-time marking and early release of results. Stakeholders are fatigued and are asking whether something is being ‘cooked’ as Kivuitu would say.
One wonders what occasioned the rescheduling yet the tough-talking Education CS told Kenyans that the process will be automated and timely. This portrays a lack of seriousness by the government on education matters, considering that no explanation was given on postponement. The following facts attest to this view.
Firstly, the 20 million face masks for public schools never arrived in some institutions despite a tidy sum spent on them. Nobody talks about accountability on this issue. When schools were closed for nine months, political activity continued unhindered. Ministers and government machinery were on high gear to get political mileage.
Capitation funds meant for schools amounting to Sh15 billion are yet to be disbursed, leaving school heads to grapple with meagre resources. CDF kitty and national bursaries have not been disbursed three months after needy students filled and returned the necessary forms for approval.
The government abandoned the much-hyped school laptop project, which would have been a game-changer during the long closure. Crowded primary schools feature in the news but our leaders are not moved—well, until an accident happens.
The forced double intake for national and extra-county schools is causing overcrowding as no funds have been allocated for the expansion of classrooms, dorms or dining halls.
Nothing is done to combat climate change, which has left many schools in the Rift Valley flooded. Learners were abandoned to survive on their own. Persistent teacher-student ratio deficit has become stale news while qualified teachers have become consistent jobseekers.
The government is only seen piggybacking on private sector functions where scholarships are being provided or smart kitchens using green energy are launched.
Where are government initiatives on education matters without private sector involvement?
The MoE announced that it could not account for 12,000 pupils who missed the KCPE exam. Before the nation could digest this, a blind postponement of a very crucial milestone for the candidates was thrust into our face.
The adjournment of Form 1 selection process without convincing reasons only worsens the psychological trauma brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The status quo will only foment suspicion and fear among pupils from private schools. Public schools were deemed to have performed better.
We plead with the President to overrule the CS's directive as he did a previous one to revert to the 8-4-4 system.
