Ministry officials pick up students to join Form One

Officials from the State Department of Education yesterday rounded up 11 students who had not joined Form One and enrolled them to schools in the county.

In an operation led by Higher Education Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi in Nakuru West, the officials who were joined by their counterparts in the Ministry of Interior, collected the children and supervised their enrollment into respective secondary schools.

Addressing the press during the exercise, Nabukwesi said they would not relent until the government effort to achieve the 100 per cent transition to Form One for all the candidates who sat for the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education is achieved.

“Today we've managed to round up 11 children who for one reason or another had not joined Form One; we will continue with this exercise until all students who sat their KCPE join secondary school.

"We want to account for every child, we want to know those who join high school and those who will have joined technical institutes,” he said.

At the same time, the officers also took the opportunity to find out the reasons why the children have not joined high school. 

He regretted that majority of the students have failed to join Form One due to a lack of school fees.

“These children are willing to be in school and learn, and we are glad that they understand that education will open up their future prospects, regardless of their poor backgrounds," he said.

He urged school headteachers to understand the backgrounds of their students before sending them home for lack of school fees, adding that some of them are orphans.

“Teachers should follow government directives.

"We will take strict action on teachers who will send students home,” he said.

He cited a case of Mary Kemunto who was selected to join Solian Girls Secondary School in Baringo, and when she reported, she sent away because she did not have school fees.

"She is an orphan and has been brought here by a neighbour, because her guardian is in hospital,” he said.

The PS also bought school uniforms and provided fare for Kemunto who reported back to Solian Girls School.

On Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha was in Baringo County to follow up on the government’s initiative on 100 per cent transition to secondary education.

The Education CS also visited two houses in Kaprogonya and Kapkut village in Kabarnet where he picked up some four students and supervised their enrollment into Kituro High School.

jkipsang@standardmedia.co.ke