Economy

Data hitch stops Form One letters

school

Arya Primary School candidates, in Kisumu town, sit for KCPE exams on October 31, 2017. FILE PHOTO | NMG

More than 640,000 students who are expected to join Form One next month have been thrown into panic after the Ministry of Education suspended issuing of letters by secondary schools, citing  data challenges.

Most of those affected by the hitch are pupils joining county schools.

“Dear regional  co-ordinators of education and county directors, this is to request you to ask all principals of county schools in your areas to hold back selection lists released to them at regional launches awaiting further direction  on county data that seems to have had a challenge,” said Basic Education director Robert Masese.

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Disappointment

He said the issue also affects sub-county selection which was concluded on Monday across the country.

A number of parents expressed disappointment.

“County schools not ready. You shall access at later date,” read a posting on the Ministry of Education website.

Selection of Form Ones at the county level was concluded on Friday while national schools concluded the exercise on Monday last week.

A total of 647,800 students will join 6,858 sub-county schools as the government moves to implement the free day secondary education programme.

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Report by Jan 9

All selected Form One students will report to their respective schools on January 9 and not later than January 12.

All the 10,738 candidates who scored 400 marks and above have been placed in national schools.

The ministry announced that all the 993,718 candidates who sat this year’s KCPE are expected to join Form One.

This marks a 25 per cent rise over the 790,680 students admitted to secondary schools last year, meaning that extra streams and additional teachers will be needed to accommodate the increased enrolment.

About Sh25 billion has been allocated for the free secondary education programme for the six months to June amid concern over inadequate teachers, classrooms and materials as well as poor standards.