Students to lose places in schools if they report late

By AUGUSTINE ODUOR

Students who have been selected to join Form One this year may lose places in their admission schools if they do not report in time.

Education Secretary George Godia asked parents to take their children to schools they have been selected to or lose the slots.

Heads of schools from Nyanza at Kisumu Polytechnic during Form One Selection. [PHOTO: JAMES KEYI/STANDARD]

Mr Godia issued the warning On Thursday, as it emerged that school principals have been asked to open registers for students who have expressed interest to enroll in those institutions if the selected ones fail to take up their slots.

The selected students are expected to report to school between January 30 and February 6. However, Godia said students would lose their places if they fail to report to schools they have been admitted to by February 9.

"If you fail to report to your admission school, someone may take up the place when schools make their returns to Jogoo House," he said.

This means that a student selected to join State House Girls may place a request to be considered at Kenya High School, if there is a chance.

"Parents who feel that they want to change schools for their children can go to heads of the schools they want and place a request," he said.

Godia, however, clarified that admission to these schools will depend on failure by the selected candidates to take up their places and the set cut off points of the school.

"The request window will be closed on February 9. Any candidate who fails to report by the time schools file their returns will miss the place," he said.

He said parents are free to visit the schools, see the cut off points, availability of places and decide to place a request or not.

He revealed that school heads have respective dates to submit returns after which other candidates will be given the chance.

File returns

National schools will file their returns on February 14 followed by county schools two days after. District schools will submit their returns on February 20.

"The final date for all the returns will be on February 27. This means that by March 30 all schools will have submitted their final and complete returns to the headquarters," said Godia.

He said there will be no second selection at Jogoo House. "It is all done in schools," he added.

The development came as it emerged that parents are reluctant to take their children to the schools they have been offered places.

"We expanded national schools to 48 up from 18. Selection of the candidates was done on merit and their choices. But some parents do not want to take their children there," said Godia.

"To enhance national cohesion any child is expected to report to any school from any region where he/she is admitted. This is the only way we can deal a blow to ethnicity," he said.