Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has announced that all students in Kenya will receive personal identifivcation numbers by the end of the month of June.
He explained that the new approach is a combined effort with other ministries to ensure that at all times they have accurate data on education in Kenyan schools.
Students' names and other necessary personal data will be entered on a platform known as the National Education Management Information System (EMIS) where a 6-digit unique number will be allocated to the child.
"The EMIS data will be validated in a systematic manner. The first phase of EMIS reform will ensure that every student in Kenya will have a six-character Unique Personal Identifier (UPI)," Dr Matiang'i explained.
Speaking to the World Bank, Dr Matiang'i explained that headteachers and school principals will be responsible for entering the information into the system and making any necessary alterations.
"No one else will be able to alter the data submitted online by the schools," the CS noted.
The school heads will also be required to upadate assessment results for each student at grade 3, 6 and 10.
"For EMIS, it is proposed that Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) undertakes annual learner management assessments in grades 3, 6 and 10.
"The schools will also be expected to analyse and upload termly and/or annual student’s assessments data," Dr Matiang’i reiterated.
The system will also be used to track resources allocated to various schools and how they have been utilized.
"The system will also enable a disaggregated student level data on educational expenditures to facilitate policy makers to establish the status of crucial education indicators such as student-to-textbook ratios, pupil-teacher ratios and allocation and utilisation of capitation grants at the school level," he explained.
