Education CS Prof George Magoha has announced that Form One placement results for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) applicants will be disclosed next week.
More than 1.2 million students who took the KCPE exams in 2021 will receive their secondary school placement on Monday, April 11 or the following day.
Prof Magoha stated, “I want to personally review the results to ensure that no one has tampered with them and that we have protected the weakest link.”
He delivered his remarks at Kenya High School in Nairobi, where he was commissioned to build a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classroom for junior secondary students.
Prof Magoha reassured parents that, depending on performance, choices, and affirmative action, all children who took the KCPE examinations will have an equal chance of enrolling in national schools.
According to the CS, Form One would be selected on merit, with affirmative action used to guarantee that all national schools have a national perspective.
He stated that no child will be discriminated against during the placement process, and that not all candidates with a score of 400 or higher will be placed in national schools.
According to Prof Magoha, the selection criteria also favor candidates who took the exam under adversity and scored well.
We’ll put the finest of the best in national schools, but we’ll use affirmative action to make sure they reflect Kenya’s culture. “A youngster who scores 399 in a tough environment can do better if they have the same opportunities as a child in Nairobi,” the CS remarked.
He dismissed critics of the selection formula, claiming that 9,000 government-sponsored Elimu Scholarships would benefit outstanding students who lacked the necessary skills to enter secondary school.
“Out of the 9,000 seats, 4,000 will be allocated to poor youngsters in urban slums, while the rest will be distributed evenly across all sub-counties,” he explained.
The scheme will benefit youngsters from low-income households who have hitherto been overlooked and their opportunities sold to wealthy ones.
We’ll be extremely fair in this exercise, and you’ll hear a lot of grumbling from folks who are used to unfair placement techniques. Prof Magoha continued, “I’m more attracted to the child from the slums who has done quite well but has the financial means to attend a good school.”
The KCSE results will be issued by the end of April, according to the CS.
“We need to provide genuine tests that place all students on an equal footing.” Anyone who jeopardizes their integrity will be prosecuted.
“Anybody who was found to aid in exam cheating shall be punished according to the Kenya National Examination Council’s laws. Students who were involved in exam cheating will also have a price to pay because nobody forced you to steal,” he warned.
