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Trace school dropouts to enable full transition

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By  Editorial

Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) data has revealed a steep decline in the number of learners from Grade 3 to 9. More than 150,000 of those registered under the competency-based education (CBE) did not make it to Grade 9.

While 1,282,150 pupils undertook the Kenya Early Years Assessment (Keya) at Grade 3 in 2019, the number dropped to 1,253,577 in the 2022 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment at Grade 6. In this year’s Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), it was at 1,130,587.

The high attrition rate has dealt a major blow to the government’s 100 per cent transition policy, which requires that all learners completing primary school must join secondary school to achieve universal basic education.

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This policy faces challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and resource gaps requiring significant investment in infrastructure, staffing, and support to succeed. It is being implemented to ensure 12 years of compulsory education. However, it has boosted enrolment, while straining the existing resources.

This raises pertinent questions. What is the cause of this high number of learners not making it to Grade 9 just a few years after being registered in Grade 3 in the new education system? Indeed, where have all these young people ended up?

The decline has also been experienced in secondary schools. According to Knec, 996,078 candidates were registered for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. But 1,214,031 candidates sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam in March 2021, meaning that 217,953 did not complete secondary education.

Education officials have said the reduction is partly due to natural attrition, which accounts for cases where learners may have passed on. Some opt for vocational training centres or alternative curricula. There are also dropouts due to early pregnancies or sickness. The plight of the young dropouts should concern all. Ideally, they should all be traced and brought back for their talents to be identified and nurtured.

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