CS Magoha Raises Alarm Over Low University Placement Numbers

Education CS George Magoha addresses the media outside KNEC headquarters, Nairobi in November 2019
Education CS George Magoha addresses the media outside KNEC headquarters, Nairobi in November 2019
File

A total of 563,544 students who sat for 2019 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will miss University slots.

Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha and a team from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) on Tuesday, June 2 announced the university placements. 

Only a total of 125, 463 students who scored a grade of C+ and above in the 2019 KCSE exams qualified to join universities around the country for degree programs.

The Kenyatta University main gate in Kiambu County.
The Kenyatta University main gate in Kiambu County.
File

In last year's exams, 4,823 students who sat for the final paper were Non-Kenyan citizens hence did not qualify for placement in public universities.

Magoha revealed a number of students who had scored C+ and above opted against joining Universities and enrolled in Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TIVET).

"Over 125,000 students scored a minimum of C+ which is what was required to move into University education.

"The most important thing that I have noticed is that a significant number of students with C+ have opted to join the TIVET course," noted Magoha.

Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services Chief Executive Officer John Muraguri announced the university placements.

"Following the 2019 KCSE examination, we got results for 689,007 candidates who were Kenyan citizens.

"The analysis showed that 125,463 were eligible to pursue degree programs and the others could pursue TIVET courses as well," noted Muraguri.

Universities submitted in their programs a joined capacity of 145,129 while TIVET provided 276,163 and a total number of 2,228 schools out of 10,289 registered centres submitted the choices of their students.

The low number of schools submitting the course choices for students concerned Muraguri who also spoke on the first revision of university courses. 

"That is only 21.65% which is one of the concerns we have. We invited the students through their first revision of choice to enable them to align their decision with their KCSE performance," voiced Muraguri.

CS Education Prof George Magoha while releasing 2019 KCPE results at Mitihani House in Nairobi on Monday November 18, 2019
CS Education Prof George Magoha while releasing 2019 KCPE results at Mitihani House in Nairobi on Monday November 18, 2019
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke