Magoha Directs These Students Be Admitted to Day Schools

Education CS George Magoha speaking at a KICD conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Education CS George Magoha speaking at a KICD conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Capital Group

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has issued a fresh directive to parents and local education authorities to have all students who performed well but are unable to join secondary schools of their choice join day schools with immediate effect. 

Speaking in Isinya, Kajiado County, on Saturday, May 21, the CS argued that lack of school fees should not be a reason preventing parents from admitting them to high schools.

He noted that if parents lacked school fees to take their children to boarding schools, they should instead transfer them to day schools near them.

He further revealed that the state was providing free education in daily secondary schools and urged the parents to take advantage of that.

Former Education CS Prof. George Magoha monitors the start of KCSE exams at Shimo la Tewa High School in Mombasa County on Monday, March 14, 2022
Former Education CS Prof. George Magoha monitors the start of KCSE exams at Shimo la Tewa High School in Mombasa County on Monday, March 14, 2022
Ministry of Education

He also directed the education officials in the constituency to carry out mop-up exercises to ensure that all students are enrolled in secondary schools.

The CS had argued that some parents had declined to take their kids to school on the pretence that they lacked school fees.

“All education officials must mop up all students and take them to the nearest day schools because they are absolutely free, the government has catered for free secondary education and all a child needs, is uniform," he stated.

This comes a week after Education stakeholders raised concerns over the high number of students who are yet to join form one despite the government's 100 per cent transition policy. 

On May 15, some parents decried the cost of education in the country, alleging that headteachers were making exorbitant demands including hiking school fees.

Magoha, however, promised to streamline the sector as the ministry would begin the mop-up exercise on Monday, May 16, so that no student is left behind.

"We still have a sizeable number of students who are yet to report. I think we can say that time is not yet over as we are beginning the exercise on Monday," the CS admitted at the time.

Since 2019, the Ministry of Education has been pushing for the 100 per cent transition but has, on most occasions, fallen short of the goal.

Education CS George Magoha conversing with 2020 KCPE Candidates on
Education CS George Magoha conversing with 2020 KCPE Candidates on March 22, 2021.
Ministry of Education