The government has selected more than 24,000 2016 KCPE candidates to join national schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i who spoke during the launch of Form One Selection in Nairobisaid this is huge growth from the paltry 4,600 a few years ago.
“As we launch the exercise today, we have already selected 24,795 successful 2015 KCPE candidates into our 103 national schools. The number that we have so far admitted to national schools is only a small fraction of the total of 942,021 candidates who successfully sat the KCPE this year,” he observed.
Matiang’i said the selection exercise for county and sub-county schools will take place on December 15-19, respectively. The selection for Extra-county and county schools will be conducted at centres to be communicated to the county directors before the actual date. The Sub-county selection exercise will take place at all the sub-county levels.
The CS said in a bid to reward merit all the 5,808 candidates who scored 400 marks and above have been placed in national schools of their choice. This includes 63 Special Needs Education students selected to regular national schools of their choice.
Additionally, the top five candidates of either gender from every district have been placed in national schools on the basis of the choices they made during registration for KCPE where possible.
“Overall, during this year’s selection, 790,680 candidates who sat KCPE in 2016 will be find places in Form One,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
The minister said the government recognises the central place of national schools as centres of education excellence and national integration, adding that they intend to enhance the number of places further by upgrading two schools – Cheptiret Boys in Uasin Gishu and Osen Girls in Baringo – to the national category next year.
This, he said, will ensure that the country has at least two national schools in every county.
The CS noted that funds have already been disbursed for upgrading and expanding infrastructure for the two schools in readiness for their first national class admission in 2018. “These schools will therefore be availed for choice as national schools to 2017 KCPE candidates,” he observed.
Matiang’i said the Government’s policy on education is aimed at enhancing access, equity and quality at all levels of education in line with the Constitution. This, he said requires that basic education be one of the fundamental rights of every Kenyan child.
--mygov.go.ke