Ranking of schools, candidates based on national exam results abolished

Education Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang. (Photo:File/Standard)

The pomp and colour that marks release of standard eight and form four examination results will be no more as the government abolishes schools and candidates ranking.

And schools that do not meet the basic minimum students requirements shall be collapsed and merged with the nearby schools to leverage on the available resources.

A government circular on guidelines of secondary schools also says that no day schools shall be converted to boarding schools unless the cabinet secretary grants a prior approval.

And to instill a sense of responsibility on students, the new directive requires that they are encouraged to carry out basic tasks such gardening and cleaning.

The circular released by education PS Belio Kipsang also prescribes the number of bank accounts all secondary schools must run for effective management of school funds.

The PS says ranking of schools during release of national examinations be scrapped and a realistic measure of evaluating performance adopted.

"There will be regular review and recasting of school performance merit measuring tools and therefore ranking of schools and students on basis of national examination results is discontinued with immediate effect," reads the circular dated November 24, 2014.

The new directives take effect from January 1, 2015.

The circular mirrors the recommendations of the secondary school fees review team.

The education taskforce said evaluation of schools performance should only be used to inform Kenyans on institutions that attained the basic minimum academic pass mark.

“Schools could be ranked by how many of their students have surpassed the 50 per cent pass mark,” reads the report, adding that the focus on schools recognition should be based on the quality of services.

And on schools, the PS now says that all day schools already established in immediate neighborhoods and have not raised a minimum of two streams will be merged.

Kipsang however says that schools in arid and semi-arid areas with a single stream of as low as 25 teachers in a class will be considered.

The circular also says that County Education Boards shall ensure that all public boarding secondary schools are developed progressively to at least three streams of some 35 to 45-class size. Day schools that do not have two streams, of the prescribed class sizes will be merged.

On management of school finances, the government now wants schools to open and manage specific bank accounts and ensure accountability and smooth implementation of the free day secondary education.

In addition, schools will be expected to strictly use the 'the laid down financial regulations as detailed in the handbook of Financial Management for Secondary Schools and Colleges and the Public Finance Management Act.'

The PS says all schools must promote social audit by stakeholders such as parents, teachers, non-teaching staff and students to enhance transparency and accountability on use of public resources.

Schools shall operate tuition accounts, operational account, boarding account, personal emolument account and operational procedures accounts.

"Each account shall have a separate cash book. All school fees structure should reflect government capitation grant and individual student allocation," reads the document.

All schools will also be expected to acknowledge receipts of funds and issuing receipt to principal secretary of education.

The PS also wants all schools to submit annual financial reports, on quarterly basis, to the County Directors of Education, Sub-County Directors of education and Head of School Audit Unit.

Schools have also been instructed to have school uniforms that suit the local weather patterns.

"They should have such uniforms suited for local weather conditions. Clothing for other purposes, such as physical education, technical and applied subjects should be simple and universally available.

Procurement of schools uniforms have also been directed to be based on open tender with strict adherence to the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005.

All secondary schools shall henceforth be classified as private or day.  "For the purposes of disbursing government grants, all public schools shall be classified as either day or boarding whereas for the purposes of form one admission and management, public schools shall be categorized into National, Extra, County, Sub-County and Special Needs," reads the circular.