Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo calls for review of Form One selection criteria

Ruiru, Kenya: The Ministry of Education has been asked to review the criteria it used for Form One selection this year.

Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo said on Wednesday the ministry needs to work with all education stakeholders in coming up with a more inclusive and fair criteria that will be acceptable to all, adding it discriminated against pupils from private schools.

The MP was speaking at Ruiru PCEA Hall when she disbursed Sh8 million Constituency Development Fund bursaries for more than 3,000 secondary school students.

"Pupils from private schools who scored 400 marks and above have not been admitted to the schools they chose and are very disappointed and frustrated. If not checked, this criteria will only further demoralise pupils who will no longer see the need of working hard," she said.

The MP asked ministry officials to give ear to the cries of parents, private schools, pupils and other relevant stakeholders, all of whom have raised concerns over the selection process.

FLAWED METHOD

"This method of selection was flowed. All the pupils from both public and private schools are our children and therefore the need to treat them equally," she said.

There has been a huge public outcry over the school selection process with Kenya Private Schools Association Chairman Ernest Wanga leading the pack.

"Merit cannot just be thrown to the dogs since it will demoralise pupils. We will take the Ministry of Education to court for discriminating against children from private schools who performed well by denying them equal chance with those from public schools to get national schools, " Wangai said yesterday.