Mixed reactions were recorded as schools used the newly introduced National Education Management Information System (Nemis) for admission of new students yesterday.
While in some areas the online system faced hitches, with both principals and parents complaining that it was slowing down the admission process, others hailed the new technology.
Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has instructed schools to follow the online process in the admission of Form One students who started reporting to school yesterday.
But a spot check by The Standard revealed that the system was proving cumbersome in some schools, leading to long queues and protests by parents.
“We have encountered problems with Nemis, the new admission system. It is very slow and we have therefore resorted to using the manual system to admit students quickly,” said Ms Fridah Ndolo, the principal of Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School.
But despite the hitch in the new system, schools recorded high admissions, with parents flocking banks and uniform centres in an effort to meet school requirements.
Ms Ndolo said she had received 480 admissions.
“We wanted nine streams but we have only managed to get seven,” she said.
Kakamega Hill School and Kakamega Boys High School were also among the schools that received high admissions.
In Rift Valley, The Standard visited national, extra-county and county schools and found learners, teachers and parents busy with the admission process.
Sabina Wambo, who escorted her son to Nakuru Boys High School, was excited about the admission process, saying the online platform had helped establish transparency in admission compared to previous years.
“I arrived at the school very early so that I could clear admission on time. I am happy my son applied to join the school. We received a letter online and here we are, he has been admitted,” said Ms Wambo.
The principal, Mike Yator, said the school was expecting 300 students who were all selected through the online platform.
The online process, he said, was transparent compared to the manual system that was used in previous years.
The admission process at Nakuru Girls, Jomo Kenyatta High, Kirobon Boys and Kirobon Girls schools went on smoothly.
Rift Valley Education Director Mary Gaturu said there were no hitches during the admission process yesterday.
“No major issue has been reported in the region. Learning is expected to kick off immediately after the admission of form ones,” she said.
Majority of Form One students seeking admission in Nyeri County secondary schools were cleared without any hitches.
At Nyeri High School, at least 180 students were admitted to Form One, with Principal James Maina saying at least 50 per cent of the students had reported.
He said there were no challenges in getting access to Nemis.
“We are happy with the admission process so far,” he said.
At St Mary’s Boys High School in Nyeri town, learning was already underway as majority of the students reported on Saturday.
The principal, Brother Peter Kombe, said at least 90 students had reported and that the school was expecting 100 more.
Mahiga Girls High School in Othaya constituency also received over 150 students.
The principal, Francesca Wahome, said the school was expecting 320 students.
Secondary schools in Samburu registered low turnout of students.
Some schools had received less than five students by 1pm.
School heads said most students who got their admission letters through Nemis might not report to the schools they were selected to join.
Kirisia Boys Secondary School, a county institution in Samburu Central, received a list of 120 students from the ministry but only 20 had reported at 2pm.
Kennedy Lengoiboni, the school principal, noted that Samburu was a vast county hence most students did not make it on the first day.
“This is a vast county. Maralal is also a sleepy town where most shops do not open over the weekend. Most parents are shopping for their children and you will find them bringing them from tomorrow.”
At AIC Moi Girls, an extra-county school that is expecting 240 students, less than five students had reported by 3pm.
According to the institution’s principal, Alice Gituru, most students would report on the 10th and 11th days of the admission.
“We have been having challenges here every year. We register very low turnout on the first day,” she said.
[Felix Odhiambo, Mercy Kahenda, Lydia Nyawira and Martin Njiru]
