With the concluded placements over two weeks ago of over one million students who sat for the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education across the nation, only 1,020 000 students will have slots available for them in secondary schools. Data released by the Ministry of Education reveals that there are no adequate slots in secondary schools.
The Ministry of Education revised the criteria that will be used for form one selection and placement for the KCPE class of 2018. The over two weeks old placement saw 1,021,457 candidates placed in secondary schools and some 31,337 students already placed across the 103 national schools in the country.
A report from the ministry shows that about 17,000 candidates both boys and girls who sat this year’s KCPE may miss form one slots in regional schools. This attributed by the shortage of slots in schools.
In October 31st this year, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised all students sitting for KCPE would earn a form one slot, a sentiment that was echoed by his Deputy President William Samoei Ruto while he visited Musa Gitau Primary School in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
According to the data released by the ministry of education, there is inadequate placements in secondary schools for all students. Overall, the data shows that of the 1,038,162 candidates who sat the examination; only 1,021,457 will have slots available for them in secondary schools with 529,124 girls and 531,668 boys and 9310 boys and 7,395 girls risking to miss a chance to join secondary school.
When the KCPE results were released, many candidates who performed well expressed their desire to join particular schools while more than 2,000 KCPE candidates scored between one and 100 marks yearned for the same chance in a secondary school.
The situation at hand brings things to a standstill. Candidates are now hoping that the mess will be solved and they will placed in the form one selection.