Group raises alarm over underage KCPE candidates

Counties with the highest number of underage candidates were Baringo, Bomet, Kericho, West Pokot and Nyamira. [Caleb Kingwara, Standard]

Education stakeholders have raised the alarm about the high number of underage candidates that sat for the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.

Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI), in a statement addressing the status of primary education in the country, accused schools of failing to adhere to the age of school entry policy.

“Schools seem to have ignored the policy on the age of school entry. This year’s exams had 308,000 candidates aged 12 and below,” said RELI Country Lead, Dr Samuel Otieno.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha on Monday released the results which indicated an increase in the number of underage candidates from 26,378 (2.21%) in 2020 to 33,627 (2.74%) in 2021.

The Ministry of Education’s (MOE’s) guidelines dictates that a child should start schooling at the age of six and complete the primary schooling cycle in class 8 at the age of 13. 

Dr Otieno voiced concerns that flouting the policy directly interferes with children’s development and further called on the government to place sanctions on schools that do so.

“While evidence indicates that underage learners outperform their over-age counterparts, the policy is well justified as it aligns to the child’s growth and development,” said Dr Otieno.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha. [File, Standard]

“It would be justified for schools that are openly flouting this policy to face sanctions by the government,” he added.

The RELI boss also emphasised the need for government to single out areas where violation of the policy is most prominent and find means to solve the issue.

According to Magoha, counties with the highest number of underage candidates were Baringo (1,302), Bomet (1,932), Kericho (1,846), West Pokot (947) and Nyamira (1,111). 

These counties, except Nyamira, recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE examination.

RELI is a peer learning initiative and policy influencing network comprising 70 organisations in East Africa that works to realise equitable and quality education.