The Ministry of Education will examine the progress of the ongoing selection of junior secondary school slots by Grade 6 students next week before considering whether to extend the application period.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha remarked on Wednesday that not all students had made their selections.
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Ahead of their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment in November, the students are choosing the secondary schools they want to attend for Grade 7 in January of the following year.
The selection portal was launched by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) on August 15 and will be closed on Tuesday, August 30.
Right now they’re doing it, but you know what’s going to happen. There’ll be a time when they’re going to rush. We’ll sit down with my team and decide whether it’s important to add some more time because this is so critical.
“This is the first time this is happening. If there’s need for us to reassess on Tuesday, we’ll come back to you. If there’s need for us to extend, we’ll extend,” Prof Magoha said. He was speaking when he commissioned a new classroom at Muhuru Muchiri Secondary School in Njiru, Nairobi County.
The CS advised parents to guide their children in the selection of schools, saying that some of them miss admission to good schools because they only concentrate on a few top schools.
There will be a double intake next year as the learners under the 8-4-4 system will also transition to Form One. The huge number of learners – about 2.5 million – is expected to spark an intense scramble for places in secondary schools.
Prof Magoha said a number of private schools had put up infrastructure to host junior secondary school, easing the pressure on public schools.
“Unless the parents choose otherwise, the majority of children who are in private schools and their parents want them to remain, will be able to do so. It’s no longer an issue. They might actually surpass the target we gave them,” the CS said.
