EDITORIAL: Ministry should scale up Form One admissions

Reports that 309,700 pupils who sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination last year had not reported to Form One in the first week of admission are worrying. Even as the government pursues the 100 percent transition rate from primary to secondary school, it should remain cognisant of the various challenges that parents and guardians face.

There are valid fears that those who missed last week’s Form One admission deadline did not have the required school fees.

According to the Education ministry, 70 percent of 1,032,334 pupils who sat for the 2018 exam had reported to high school by close of business last Friday.

Lack of school fees is the big elephant in the room. Many bright students have had their academic ambitions cut short by endemic financial challenges.

It would be totally unfair for the hundreds of thousands of pupils to miss out on their high school studies due to lack of fees.

The bursary schemes at the constituency and county levels are definitely not enough yet the number of applicants continues to rise each year.

No effort should be spared in ensuring that these children continue with their education without any hiccups.

The Education ministry should also strive to address the various complaints raised by many parents and pupils about the Form One selection process.

Many have taken issue with the National Education Management Information System.

For example, some are asking why a pupil from a financially deprived background is being admitted to a school that is hundreds of kilometres away yet there are institutions of the same quality in their immediate locale.

Policymakers should sit down and come up with a formula that will ensure that the transition from primary school to high school is seamless for all involved.

These are some of the pertinent issues that should be addressed going forward.

Another worrying trend are the scores of students who fail to make it to the next stage of the education system.

What happens to these children? Does the government have any plans for them?

Like the saying goes. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If we fail to take care of those falling out of the education system. they will become fodder for radical elements in society.