Private School candidates who registered for 2020 KCSE and KCPE exams will have to postpone studies after the Ministry of Education declined to offer direction on the transfer of students.
Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) ruled out the change of examination centres by candidates despite the academic year being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citing an example of Parents from Tudor Primary in Mombasa County, parents have expressed their disappointment after they were affected with the situation. Their children are still at home yet others are continuing with learning. They have since asked the CS for Education Prof. George Magoha to come to their rescue.
Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 public students were recalled to schools ahead of sitting national exams in March 2021.
“My child has not gone to school since they reopened on October 12. Her school closed and the proprietor wrote asking us to transfer our children,” Winne Ouma, a parent of a student in Tudor, Mombasa stated while speaking to a local daily.
She added that she postponed her daughter’s education to January 2021 due to a lack of slots in public schools.
Private School heads added that the fate of some KCSE & KCPE students is in limbo as most of the institutions have shut down. The private schools were not cushioned during the COVID-19 pandemic and face huge bills.
Majority of the candidates have been forced to stay at home waiting for a direction from the Ministry as students in public schools continue with studies.
Mombasa Education Director
Moses Makori, Mombasa Education Director stated that they are looking into the crisis and are compiling a report of private schools that were shut down and learners affected.
He added that the crisis will worsen as public schools do not have enough vacancies to accommodate students once all students are allowed to go back to school.
Schools may take in other grades and students, however, candidates and Grade 4’s fate will be decided by the Ministry of Education.
Public school heads warned that accommodation of more students will call for more infrastructure and funds as social distancing is key to curbing the spread of COVID-19.
