The many needy students out of school raise queries on scholarship programmes

After the release of the KCPE 2019 results, the country witnessed different organs of the central government, county governments, and the non-governmental and religious organisations convene ceremonies to parade hundreds of successful applicants for their various sponsorship programmes. All this was in an effort to ensure that no bright and deserving or needy learners are left out of school due to lack of school fees.

Even as the government insists that the lack of school fees should not be a barrier for a pupil to join form one, things on the ground seem utterly different. While in on a door to door campaign that intends to ensure 100% transition of all pupils who sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) last year join to form one, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. Magoha revealed that over 40% of candidates are yet to join form one. The revelation, however, comes amidst desperate cries from parents who are unable to take their children to form one due to what they have termed as ‘high costs’ of education.