Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiangi [Photo/capitalfm.co.ke]
After masses raised concerns over the worrying poor performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations (KCSE) over the last two years, Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiangi, who has been flagging reforms for quality education has issued a statement.
This year, 314,035 Form Four candidates scored grade D and below and an additional 295,463 candidates managed similar less admired grades in the 2016 KCSE examinations.
It is this lot that has seen many educationists raising a red flag over the credibility of the exams and the entire process as close to a million miss out a chance at universities.
Sunday Nation has established that the education CS has in a detailed document said there exists options students who failed could pursue to make it in life.
Dr. Matiang'i said students who attained C+ (plus) will have a chance to study undergraduate programs across public universities.
These slightly exceed the 70,000 mark, down from 88,626 students joined public and private universities in this year.
"Learners who have attained C and C minus can be admitted to a diploma programme and, if they so wish, can later register for an undergraduate degree programme,” Dr. Matiang'i advised, as quoted by the Sunday Nation.
“Learners who have attained D and D plus can be admitted to certificate programmes and, if they so wish, can proceed to attain a diploma and thereafter a degree level qualification,” added the tough spoken CS.
The document guides students who have obtained D minus and E to consider join vocational training institutions and later advance certificate, diploma and degree level courses as appropriate.
According to the release, the CS indicated that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service shall place 139,389 into degree courses and 45,499 could get slots for diploma courses.
The government despite dismal performance has held that placement of students in middle-level colleges in the public sector will be about 300,000.
In the document, the CS indicates that teacher training colleges will absorb 12,000 students next year while the 11 national polytechnics, including the Kenya Technical Teachers’ College, will absorb 44,000 students.
There are 115 technical training institutions across the county which he noted will absorb another 53,000 students.
Other options include vocational training centres or youth polytechnics under devolved units that will also have opportunities for 80,000 students while other line ministries have an approximate capacity of 40,000.
The government will also pet the hope of about 15,000 youth onto its 67 Kenya Medical Training Centres across the country for a three-year programme and the Railway Training Institute whose annual intake is over 3,000 students.
Also fronted by the CS is Utalii College.
It absorbs 3,000 to 5,000 students annually while the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication has 500 opportunities for those who will seek to join the telco industry.
“It is also worth noting that a learner who advances from artisan level through degree and finally doctorate level possesses superior qualifications that qualify him/her as both a practitioner and an academician.
"Globally, this is the practice that has led to the development of most industrialised nations such as Germany, South Korea, and China.This is also in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 which seeks to produce skilled human resources required for all sectors,” said Matiangi in the document.