Form One admissions start today with radar on school heads

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Vice Chairperson Consolata Maina and her brother Patrick Bucha at Nchaure Primary School in Meru congratulate students from needy families who performed well. Ms Maina and Mr Bucha provide mentorship for pupils of the school that is in their village. They also pay fees for many students who come from humble backgrounds. They donated money and shopping to students joining Form One. [Olivia Murithi, Standard]

The Ministry of Education has directed its officials to file daily reports showing how Form One students are reporting to school.

The reports are supposed to help the ministry identify the students who fail to take up their positions.

The monitoring, which is also facilitated by the National Education Management Information System (Nemis), is intends to enforce the Government's policy of 100 per cent enrolment.

Learners who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination last year are expected to report to national, extra-county, county and sub-county schools countrywide starting today. 

The enrolment will go on till Friday.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed yesterday said the Government was keen to ensure that all the learners who sat the 2018 KCPE proceeded to Form One.

“After the successful execution of the Form One selection process, the next phase is to actualise the Government policy of 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school,” Ms Amina said.

She added that President Uhuru Kenyatta had mandated her ministry to work with officials of the national government, particularly chiefs, to ensure that all students were enrolled.

"In order to account for every learner, the National Education Management Information System will be the central point of admission data,” Amina said.

This way, she said, the Government would get real-time information for the students as they reported.

“I hereby instruct all education field officers to take action against any national, extra-county or county school that may violate the directive to ensure admission of students is done through Nemis,” Amina said.

She clarified that the ministry had not gone back on its decision to use Nemis, insisting that hardcopy letters issued by principals remained null and void.

School warning

On the day of reporting, she said, schools would admit students using their Nemis accounts only.

“Any deviation shall only be sanctioned by my office. It is important to note that all schools, public and private, must admit through Nemis,” she said.

The CS said students without Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) numbers would be expected to be issued with them as soon as possible.

Amina said during the Form One selection last month, the ministry instructed school principals to receive details of candidates who may wish to join their schools and upload them.

She assured parents and guardians that all genuine transfer cases would be considered before Friday.

So far, according to the ministry, 36,026 students had indicated their intention to seek transfers.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang reminded principals that they should generate a full report on students' reporting by Friday.

“A multi-agency team by relevant Government agencies has agreed to a common approach to issues that may arise," said Dr Kipsang.

"The principal secretary, Interior, Karanja Kibicho, and Nancy Macharia, the chief executive officer, Teachers Service Commission, have already issued instructions to county commissioners and county directors.”

He said the Government would use the information generated from Nemis and use GPRS technology to track down students who will join Form One.

The National Parents Association (NPA) said it was happy with Amina's latest order on those who got letters outside the Nemis system.

Use technology

“If the ministry activates Nemis to take care of those who received hardcopy letters from principals to join secondary schools, we as parents have no problem so long as all our children go to school,” said Nicholas Maiyo, the NPA chairman.

According to the ministry, Nemis will also be used to identify students who use National Hospital Insurance Fund services.