Kenya has enough higher institutions to accommodate all KCSE candidates.
All KCSE exam candidates have the option to enroll in institutions of higher learning to follow a degree of their choosing, according to Dr Mercy Wahome, CEO of Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS).
KUCCPS, she claims, has the ability to place students in private and public schools and universities for government-approved courses.
Dr Wahome, who spoke in Nakuru after overseeing the release and distribution of KCSE materials, asked teachers to keep submitting the course application forms that students filled out before the exams began in the KUCCPS systems till the window shuts on April 1.
Students will be able to revise their courses after the results are released in April, she noted.
“We have options for all of the 800,000 candidates who are taking the examinations in both government and private institutions, as we do not have a shortage of colleges, universities, and TVETs (Technical and Vocational Education and Training),” she stated.
On the other hand, she decried instances of exam cheating.
She asked teachers and exam administrators to discourage students from cheating on exams because all students, regardless of their scores, had equal access to tertiary schools.
She stated that the majority of students are unaware of the government’s options, and that students would be encouraged to enroll in courses that will help them develop in their careers.
She advised students to consider their views on technical subjects such as agriculture, which are part of the government’s Big Four program.
The bulk of applications received by KUCCPS, according to Dr. Wahome, are for medical, nursing, and engineering programs.
We have so far received about 50,000 applications for nursing and medicine and over 5,000 for engineering courses. We are encouraging students to think outside courses as the world is changing,” she said.
She advised students to work with their career teachers to continue filling out applications through the KUCCPS system, which is open to schools until April.
