Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Wednesday, February 15, revealed that over 200,000 students were yet to join Junior Secondary School(JSS) because their parents were holding them back.
Machogu added that many parents feared incurring costs while taking their children to school including fees and buying educational books.
However, the CS reiterated that JSS education was free and compulsory for all students to ensure 100 percent transition, adding that parents would only contribute money for lunch.
“More than 200,00 junior secondary school students have not reported to school,’’ CS Machogu stated.
The CS added that the Ministry of Education would take action against school officials demanding payments other than the ones stipulated by the government.
“I want to clarify that Junior Secondary School is free and compulsory.
“No Principal, School Board, PTA, or other person is permitted to impose unauthorized levies in the name of registration fees,” Machogu added.
Moreover, the CS stated that learners' books and teacher’s guides would be distributed across schools and parents had no obligation to buy books.
“A total of 17,893,270 copies of learners’ books and 423,514 copies of teachers’ guides will be distributed by the end of the exercise next week,” affirmed Machogu.
Machogu stated that the Ministry of Education was working with County Commissioners, area chiefs, and their assistants to ensure that all children reported to school as expected.
He warned parents and teachers against registering students who were meant to join JSS for the 2023 KCPE exams adding that they would not be allowed to sit for any exams other than the Competence Based Curriculum(CBC) exams.
“I want to tell any parent transferring their children from level seven to eight to sit for the KCPE exams that it will not be acceptable,” Machogu added.
On Monday, February 13, Machogu directed school officials to file reports on the progress of enrollment of grade seven learners, stating that they ought to report any challenges faced during the admission for the government to address.
Machogu was addressing reports that some parents were colluding with schools to register Grade 7 pupils for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.
