FORM ONE SELECTION MYSTERY
The form selection exercise continues to raise uproar among a section of parents whose children were selected to schools that were not of their choice.
The placement results were announced on Monday by Education Cabinet secretary George Magoha at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi.
Most of the candidates were happy and celebrated the selection but some were disappointed as they were not selected by their preferred schools.
According to some parents, the placement was unfair as they have cited situations where a student in, say, Kakamega ended up in a day school in Nairobi, Turkana, Pokot, Lamu, and Mombasa.
Professor Magoha has defended the placement and urged parents to be satisfied, adding that the exercise was fair and aimed at giving all candidates an equal opportunity and treatment including those children in the slums and those in far flung arid and semi-arid areas.
Even though the ministry of education has stamped its authority on non-transfer, several parents are still lining up at some national schools where their children were not selected, with the hope of getting a form one slot.
Basic Education PS Julius Jwan explained that the mishap may have been occasioned by the poor recording of school codes.
“These are isolated cases and perhaps the codes were not properly captured. If these parents visit our sub-county offices they will be assisted,” he said.
Candidates were receiving the results via mobile networks i.e candidates' index number to 22263, which was being charged KSh.25 each, or through the Ministry of Education website for the Form One selection details.
These cases have undermined the trust learners, parents, teachers, and guardians have in the digitized selection process which took away teachers from their core mandate but the outcome is not satisfactory.
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