PS Belio Kipsang reads the riot act as 280,000 yet to join Form 1
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang (centre) addressing the press at Mama Ngina Girls High School in Mombasa on January 22, 2024.
About 280,000 learners who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams in 2023 have failed to report to Form One across the country.
This has forced the government to deploy machinery to search for the learners and enrol them in schools to enforce the 100 per cent transition policy.
On Monday, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang revealed that of the more than 1.4 million learners expected to join secondary schools, about 80 per cent had reported to various institutions.
He is leading a team of education officials who have camped in the Coast region after it recorded low enrolment after the first week of reporting.
"We are here to make sure that we transition our children 100 per cent as per the government's policy. As of Friday, our data showed that we were slightly above 80 per cent," said Dr Kipsang.
He expressed optimism that 100 per cent enrolment in secondary schools would be achieved by the end of the week.
Speaking at Mama Ngina Girls High School in Shanzu, Mombasa County, the PS said the Coast region was lagging behind at 56 per cent.
He warned parents that they risked arrest if they failed to take their children to school as required by the Basic Education Act.
"In this exercise, anyone found staying at home with children will be dealt with according to the Basic Education Act, which is very clear. All children must go to school, lack of uniform should not be a reason for a child not to go to school," the PS warned.
He said that being the last class of the 8-4-4 education system, the learners were at risk of dropping out of school. The 8-4-4 system of education is being phased out and replaced by the Competency-Based Curriculum. Dr Kipsang urged parents to take their children to day schools.
"Principals should not deny a child a chance to go to school due to lack of uniforms. Support them, if they miss this opportunity, they have no other chance," the PS insisted.
However, in the junior school category, the PS said the transition levels were promising, with Mombasa recording 80 per cent.
"President William Ruto has issued directives on education. Nobody should be charged in JS because our children are in the same environment; they are just moving from one class to another. Nothing is changing, they are using the same facilities," the PS added.
Dr Kipsang said there were enough facilities in JS, including desks and textbooks, and warned the headteachers of dire consequences if they failed to comply with the government's policy.
"Adhere to the government policy regarding free primary and junior secondary schools. There should be no payments in our JS. Don't start lunch programmes or anything else in JS because these children come from home," the PS warned.
Dr Kipsang warned all primary and junior secondary school head teachers to abide by the government's policy on payment of school fees.
The PS said all public schools had received capitation and there should be no questions on how the educational institutions should be run.
"Capitation is purely for tuition. Schools cannot say they cannot buy food or other supplies," the PS added, responding to primary and secondary school head teachers who have been complaining of financial challenges due to capitation.
In Homa Bay County, at least 10,395 students have not yet reported to Form One. According to Ministry of Education officials, 42,408 students sat the 2023 KCPE exams in the county, but only 31,813 have reported to Form One.
As a result, education officials and their counterparts in the Interior Ministry have teamed up to identify learners who are yet to join Form One and take them to school. The exercise involves chiefs, their assistants and other administrators.
"We are way below the government's expectations. The education policy wants all learners to join Form One after sitting the KCPE. The chiefs will help us identify the learners before they are taken to school," said Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan.
He asked head teachers of primary schools to account for all their 2023 KCPE candidates. But Mr Lilan said no institution offering technical courses had reported admitting Class Eight learners by Friday last week.
Some parents who have not taken their children to secondary school cited financial challenges as their main obstacle to sending their children to school. However, Mr Lilan said this should not deter pupils from going to school as the government had already disbursed capitation funds to schools.
"We are aware that parents are facing financial challenges. But this should not stop students from going to school," he said.
