Select day schools near you for junior secondary, says Magoha

Education CS George Magoha commissions CBC classrooms at Rungiri Secondary School in Kiambu. [George Njunge, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has urged parents to select day schools near their homes for their children joining Junior Secondary.

"We encourage parents to get schools close to them, especially those who really want to have their children near them," said Prof Magoha.

He, however, said parents who would wish to send their children to private schools are free to do so.

"We encourage parents to sit together with their children and chose schools together," Magoha said.

The CS said a portal has been opened by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) for parents to select schools where their children will be admitted after Grade Six.

Releasing the Junior Secondary School placement guidelines, Magoha said the exercise will take place between August 15 and 30.

He said all Grade Six learners will be offered placement in existing registered public and private secondary schools. He also said public secondary schools which share a compound with a public primary school will wutilise available classrooms as additional learning spaces. The CS further said registered private secondary schools will be available for learners whose parents will pay the fees charged by the private institutions.

"Junior Secondary Schools established from existing registered private primary schools which have expanded their facilities will be available for learners whose parents will pay the fees charged by the private secondary schools," said Magoha. Meanwhile, it emerged the placement criteria used is similar to that of Form One selection under the 8-4-4 education system.

"Selection for admission of learners into junior secondary will be premised on the principles of merit, equity (affirmative action where required), choice of schools by learners on advice by parents and teachers and institutional declared capacity," Magoha said.

Regional schools

Each student will be required to select two national schools and two regional schools. They will also be required to select two county schools and four sub county schools. Each learner will also have a chance to select two private schools of their choice.

"Learners, in consultation with their parents and teachers, will be given an opportunity to select a public or private secondary school. Parents will meet the cost of learning in private schools as is the usual practice," said Magoha. Magoha said yesterday that nearly all the 10,000 classrooms being constructed to support transition to Junior Secondary Schools are complete.

Magoha said 90 per cent of the classrooms are ready. He said each of the classrooms were constructed at a cost of Sh800,000.

"We are doing the classrooms at half of the usual price and I am wondering where the figures north of a million came from in similar projects," Magoha said.

Magoha was speaking at Rungiri High School in Kikuyu when he toured the school to commission phase two of the CBC classrooms

The CS said he is optimistic that by close of the year, the classrooms will be done 100 per cent.

Magoha, however, singled out schools in Western Kenya, Nairobi and Mombasa for not doing well in classrooms project.

Magoha further thanked learners for what he termed resilience since the Covid-19 crisis when the academic year was disrupted. "We are in a difficult transition period but I hope the schools will not be affected by the few by-elections that we are looking forward to. The schools have enough security," Magoha said.