The Education Cabinet Secretary (CS), Prof. George Magoha on Saturday led a mop-up campaign in Kajiado County in a bid to trace all candidates who are yet to report to secondary schools.
The CS who went from one homestead to another in search of the candidates managed to trace seven pupils from Kajiado Central who had not yet reported to school due to lack of fees.
The candidates who had lost hope of joining secondary schools could not hide their joy with some of them breaking into tears as the CS personally took them to their respective schools and instructed the school principals to admit them.
Magoha ensured that four girls were admitted to Il Bissil Girls’ School, two at Sajiloni Girls High School and one boy admitted at Ol Kejuado Boys High School.
He noted that most pastoralists counties lagged behind in transition to secondary schools compared to other counties which have already surpassed the 100 per cent transition mark.
“I have seen that in Kajiado County the transition rate is at 68 per cent indicating that there are so many students who have yet to report to school. Narok and Samburu counties also have low transition while counties like Murang’a and Nyeri have surpassed the 100 per cent transition rate meaning that we have much work to do to attain the 100 per cent mark,” the CS noted.
750,000 out of 1, 075,201 candidates who sat their exams last year have proceeded to secondary schools with more than 325,000 candidates yet to report despite admission being extended by a week.
Some of the reasons cited for failure to transition, include decision by pupils to repeat class eight, early pregnancies, poverty and insecurity.
Records from the ministry shows that Murang’a County posted the best transition rate at 107.66 per cent, having expected 25,315 students but ended up enrolling 26,720.
Kwale County has the worst transition rate of 78.94 per cent with 11,123 students turning up out of the expected 14,091.
The mop-up campaign rolled out by the government on Saturday to trace all candidates who are yet to report to school is being led by the Ministries of Interior and Coordination of National Governement, Education and the Teachers Service Commission.
Magoha directed all field education officers to comb their regions to find candidates who are yet to report to schools and ensure that they are enrolled in the schools they were placed in.
The head teachers of respective schools where the students sat the KCPE were directed to avail all the vital information to aid the process of ensuring that all students enroll in secondary schools.
“Chiefs and Nyumba Kumi officials will help in tracing candidates during the mop-up exercise and they will be escorted to the nearest day secondary schools since the government is determined to achieve its 100 per cent transition policy,” Magoha added.
By Rop Janet/Albert Lemomo
