Over 7,000 KCPE candidates to join national schools

The more than 7,000 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) 2015 candidates from both public and private schools who scored 400 marks and above will be admitted to national schools of their choice, this is according to Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

Speaking when he launched the form one selection exercise at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Matiang’i noted that 197,000 students will miss out on form one vacancies and will instead join vocational training colleges.

Kenya has about 759, 000 secondary school slots; however, a total of 927,401 pupils sat the exams last year.

The CS said the government is committed to improving education standards in Kenya and warned middlemen who interfere with the form selection exercise especially to national schools that starting 2017, form one admission letters will be issued online.

Matiangi added that stakeholders in the education sector need to work together for the sake of students and urged teachers to reduce arguments with their employer, TSC.

When he released the KCPE results in December 2015, Matiang’i expressed concern over the decline in the performance of public schools in KCPE exams after they recorded a seven-point drop from an average mark of 187.58 in 2014 to 180.87 in 2015.

Private schools however recorded a slight increase from an average mark of 229.94 in 2014 to 230.14 in 2015.

Matiang’i blamed truancy by teachers for the decline and warned them against absenteeism.