Form Ones to receive free textbooks from government

Students joining Form One in 2018 will each receive textbooks of six subjects, the Education Ministry has said.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i announced this new directive while flagging off the Form One selection process at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on Monday.

“All the Form Ones who report will be given six textbooks for Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and Physics,” said CS Matiang’i.

Dr. Matiang’i said that the textbooks have been procured by public resources in conjunction with publishers and approved by KICD, as per the law.

“KICD has reviewed the content and identified the core textbooks in each of the six critical subjects and had the meeting with the publishers, both government owned and private publishers,” added CS Matiang’i

The textbooks will bear a special mark – the national Coat of Arms – on the front cover so that they are not sold in bookshops, according to Dr. Matiang’i.

CS Matiang’i added that a nationwide distribution of the textbooks would be flagged off by the ministry on January 4.

The Education CS said new policy on textbooks will ensure equity of learning outcomes. “We don’t want a situation where some schools don’t have textbooks and yet we expect the same learning outcomes across the country.”

The Form One selection process began with the top KCPE student, Goldalyn Kakuya being selected to join Kenya High School.

Kakuya who garnered 455 marks out of 500, will lead a cohort of students who are set to be placed at secondary schools across the country by December 12.

The students, CS Matiang’i said, will report to school by January 9. “We want our children to start school by January 9 in both public and private secondary schools. We will allow a short window between January 9 and 12.”