Editor's Review

Education CS George Magoha has announced that the 2020 KCPE candidates will undergo a different placement formula but assured it will be fair.

The Ministry of Education has introduced a new selection formula for secondary school placement for the 1,179,182 candidates who sat for the 2020 KCPE examinations between March 22 and March 24, 2021.

The Cabinet Secretary George Magoha led Ministry announced that this year, there would be only one selection process as opposed to the previous formula which allowed for parents and students to select their schools in the second round.

However, the process is reported to affect candidates who score below 350 marks, who get their selections during the second phase.

According to the education ministry, 8,091 candidates scored above 400 marks and above while 282,090 candidates scored between 300 and 399 marks.

Magoha assured that the process will be fair, allowing all students to secure their desired national and county schools.

"We want a system that will pick the best brains from Kiandutu slums in Thika and take them to Alliance Girls High school," Magoha stated.

The form one selection process is usually influenced by merit, candidate's choices, regional balance, and affirmative action which opts to favour candidates in regional areas.

This allows students who topped in their counties or sub-counties to land spots at national schools.

While releasing the KCPE results for the class of 2020 on Thursday, April 15, Magoha assured that there would be a 100 percent transition of all candidates into secondary schools.

The CS further announced that the government would issue 9,000 scholarships to students from poor backgrounds.

"I wish to assure the country that the Ministry has already conducted an audit of all new and existing vacancies in all our private and public schools to enable us to admit all learners under the Free Day Secondary Education programme.

"We are determined to work with the relevant agencies to ensure that no candidate misses a place in secondary school,” Magoha stated.