All 2024 Grade 8 pupils in Trans Nzoia County have successfully progressed to Grade 9.
Speaking to KNA on Tuesday, Trans Nzoia County Director of Education Pamela Akello attributed the success to cooperation between stakeholders and commitment by the government to ensure all Kenyan Children are given an equal platform to access education irrespective of background, gender, race, or religion.
Saying that schools in the region have enough infrastructure, Akello hailed the World Bank through the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Programme (KPEEL) for the relentless support which has seen more classrooms being erected.
“The Ministry of Education remains committed to providing quality education to all Kenyan children regardless of their background. We have worked closely with the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning (KPEEL) programme, supported by the World Bank, to build classrooms specifically for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). The support has greatly helped us to achieve the hundred per cent transition of pupils from Grade 8 to Grade 9,” she said.
Through the KPEEL Programme, Akello revealed that a total of 245 JSS classrooms have been built in Trans Nzoia County. In Phase One of the Programme, a total of 77 classrooms were built, and 168 others were done in the Second Phase.
Revealing that 78 more schools are earmarked to benefit in the third phase yet to be rolled out, Akello called for stakeholder engagement and corporate support to help address other challenges in education, like the shortage of desks and lockers.
“Besides the 78 schools which have been earmarked to benefit from the KPEEL third phase classroom construction programme, the government, through the Ministry of Education budget will also see more classrooms being constructed in 68 schools in Trans Nzoia,” she said.
Revealing that Grade 9 textbooks were supplied to schools on time, Akello said that minor challenges were witnessed in cases where pupils transferred.
However, she said the issue is being addressed as data has already been channelled to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
By Isaiah Nayika and Sheila Kirui
