Some private students who were to sit for national exams will have to postpone studies after the Ministry of Education declined to offer direction on the transfer of students.
Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) ruled out the change of examination centres by candidates despite the academic year being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Parents in Mombasa County lamented that students were being affected by staying at home as pressure mounts on Education CS George Magoha to intervene.
Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 public students were recalled to schools ahead of sitting national exams in March 2021.
"My child has not gone to school since they reopened on October 12. Her school closed and the proprietor wrote asking us to transfer our children," Winne Ouma, a parent of a student in Tudor, Mombasa stated while speaking to a local daily.
She added that she postponed her daughter's education to January 2021 due to a lack of slots in public schools.
Private School heads added that the fate of some KCSE & KCPE students is in limbo as most of the institutions have shut down. The private schools were not cushioned during the Covid-19 pandemic and face huge bills.
The candidates have been forced to sit at home waiting for a direction from the Ministry as students in public schools continue with studies.
Speaking to the Standard, Mombasa Education Director Moses Makori stated that they are looking into the crisis and are compiling a report of private schools that were shut down and learners affected.
He added that the crisis will worsen as public schools do not have enough vacancies to accommodate students once all students are allowed to go back to school.
Schools may take in other grades and students, however, candidates and Grade 4's fate will be decided by the Ministry of Education.
Public school heads warned that accommodation of more students will call for more infrastructure and funds as social distancing is key to curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Magoha called for a crisis meeting to discuss new term dates for schools after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed schools to reopen in January 2021.
The meeting will also discuss how to ensure students do not lose the academic year and how to avoid double intake of students. Education stakeholders were cagey on whether the fate of private students will be discussed.
