Ministry increases national high schools as pupils wait for results

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi (left) with Permanent Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang (right) during a press briefing on the Laptop Project tenders at Jogoo House on October 17, 2013. Education Principal Secretary Dr Kipsang said the government has increased the number of
national secondary schools, one day before the release of KCPE results. 27 county schools have been upgraded into national schools. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA 

In Summary

• Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the government has elevated 27 county schools into national ones, which will see them admit top candidates from all parts of the country. The move increases the number of national schools from 78 to 105
• Each school was expected to receive Sh25 million for the upgrade to ensure it can expand its number of classrooms and laboratories to fit the new status
• Those who miss out on the selection for Form One are advised to seek places in vocational institutions

By SAMUEL SIRINGI
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The government has increased the number of national secondary schools, one day before the release of KCPE results.

This means there will be more Form One slots in the elite institutions next year.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the government has elevated 27 county schools into national ones, which will see them admit top candidates from all parts of the country.

The move increases the number of national schools from 78 to 105. This also means that slots in national schools will surpass the 16,000 candidates who joined the same category of schools this year.

Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi is expected to release results of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), the first under the Jubilee government, on Tuesday.

More than 800,000 candidates sat the national examinations on November

.

Sh25 MILLION FOR UPGRADE
This year, the 27 schools that have now been transformed to national schools admitted 40 per cent of Form One students from all parts of the country.

They also picked 40 per cent of candidates from within their counties while the rest came from the districts that are hosting the schools.

On Sunday, Dr Kipsang said the creation of more national schools is expected to ease competition for places in the elite institutions.

Each school was expected to receive Sh25 million for the upgrade to ensure it can expand its number of classrooms and laboratories to fit the new status.

But he announced that admission to the schools will still be based on quotas that favoured public schools.

“We have not changed the rules,” Mr Kipsang said of the rule, which allows more candidates from the public schools that register a majority of candidates to take the lion’s share of places in the elite schools.

Under the system, Dr Kipsang said, the top two boys and girls from each district in the exams will be admitted to national schools of their choice.

The rule is implemented regardless of whether a candidate sits exams in a public or private school.

“This will ensure proportionate sharing of national school places between public and private candidates in a district based on strength of their candidature, “ Dr Kipsang said.

INDISCRIMINATE SELECTION

Usually, national schools admit students from all parts of the country, irrespective of their county of location.

Other than the top two candidates from either gender who will join national schools, each district will also be given a quota of additional candidates that will be selected to the institutions.

All current day schools and former provincial schools with a day wing are allowed to select all their Form One candidates from the districts where they are located.

But there are five schools that are allowed to select their new students before the actual selection date. 

These are Starehe Boys, Starehe Girls, Moi Forces Academy Nairobi, Moi Forces Lanet and Utumishi Academy.

All candidates are allowed to choose four national schools when registering for their KCPE examinations.

They also choose three county schools. Of these, two must be from within the county, while one is selected from other regions.

Schools are required to take up 45 new students per stream.

VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

In total, 628,051 candidates joined secondary schools this year based on last year’s KCPE.

County schools admitted 162,282 candidates while district schools took in 389,299.

Private schools admitted 59,705 candidates.

Those who miss out on the selection for Form One are advised to seek places in vocational institutions.

Previously, the government has also proposed to the Treasury to release Sh7 billion to build 4,222 classrooms in existing schools to expand on their enrolment.

If that is allowed, the schools would take in about 200,000 more Form One students annually. Other solutions to help increase enrolment include launching distance learning, boost e-learning or starting mobile schools.

The release of the results comes just a week after the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) released draft guidelines for administration of the tests.