Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, has responded to concerns raised by parents on the placement of students who scored 400 marks and above in the recently released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results.
Addressing the media in Nakuru on Thursday, April 7, Magoha challenged parents not to focus their attention on getting their children placed in top national schools, adding that there were many good schools at the county level.
He insisted that the government will use its own formula during the placement exercise.
The CS explained that the government had invested heavily in infrastructure and teachers in all schools across the country, hence no need to fight for the few slots in top national schools.
"Every school in this country has well-trained and qualified teachers and all this noise about four or five schools that are at the top must and should stop.
"You should be satisfied with where your child has been placed. The children will be taught by the same teachers who are also in other places," stated Magoha.
The CS detailed that the placement will consider the academic abilities of students and those with similar abilities will be placed in the same cohort. He further announced that the placement results will be announced on Monday, April 11.
Following the release of the 2021 KCPE results, a section of parents expressed concerns over the placement formular adopted by the Ministry of Education, with most parents seeking to have students who scored 400 marks and above placed in national schools.
“Our concerns as raised by parents and headteachers from the primary schools is that our students be given 30 per cent of the slots from the over seven national schools in the county," Samuel Wanjema, Kiambu Parents Association representative, stated.
Magoha, however, promised that needy students who scored 400 marks and above will be given special consideration in the placement.
"I want to assure those parents who have extremely bright students from very poor families that we shall place them in good schools and a sizable number will be given the scholarship to continue with their education.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed that we look for another 9,000 students to benefit from the Elimu Scholarship," he stated.
