A total of 84 percent of students who sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams last year have transitioned to secondary schools in Elgeyo Marakwet county according to the county director of education James Ongeti.
The director said his department will be convening a meeting next week with the National Government Administrative Officers (Ngao) to map out strategies to ensure that those still at home are taken to school.
He called on parents who are still keeping their children at home to take them to the nearest day school where the government caters for tuition fees to ensure there is 100 percent transition.
Nelson Oloo from Elimu scholarship said 120 comprising 65 girls and 55 boys from the county had benefitted from the government-sponsored programme.
Speaking when flagging off the students at the county headquarters, Oloo advised the students to work hard in school so that they could reap the benefits of the program.
Keiyo North DCC Julius Maiyo said out of the 4,083 students who sat KCPE in the sub-county, 3,929 had reported to secondary schools, and TVETS said only 134 had not reported thus attaining 99 percent transition.
Maiyo said they are in the process of mopping up the remaining to ensure there is 100 percent transition which is the policy of the government.
Noting that lack of school fees was the main hurdle against the 100 percent transition, the DCC said several organizations have come up to sponsor several students.
He said as a member of the NG-CDF, they had already awarded bursaries saying while they are yet to receive the monies, they will issue letters of commitment from the fund to all beneficiaries to enable them to stay in school as they await payment.
The DCC reminded parents that it was a crime for them not to take their children to school saying for any parent experiencing any challenge to report to see how they can be assisted.
By Alice Wanjiru
