This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
Teachers in Nakuru County are struggling to register Grade Three pupils for the Kenya Early Years Assessment, a mandatory test scheduled for September 16-20, due to a lack of birth certificates.
According to head teachers, some parents have refused to provide birth certificates after realizing that the documents contain the names of their children's fathers, with whom they have separated or divorced.
Mr. Nicholas Mungai, head teacher at Kabazi Primary School, stated, "We have a big challenge since some parents are yet to furnish us with birth documents." The school has registered at least 120 learners online, but 13 pupils have not been captured by the National Education Management Information System (Nemis).
St. Peter's Elite School head teacher, Mr. Simon Mburu, revealed that his institution is still waiting for the recommended assessment tools from the Kenya National Examination Council to rollout the registration.
Mr. Mburu also expressed concerns about the slow pace of entering pupils' details in the Nemis portal, stating, "Entering pupils' details in the Nemis portal is too slow, it takes a lot of time before learners' details are captured in the system."
With schools closing for the second term on August 2, head teachers fear that many children may be locked out of the registration process.
