This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
November 24th, 2017, marked a significant milestone in Kenya's education sector as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCPE) results were released. The focus now shifts to the next level of education as the former candidates transit into secondary schools.
For years, many children who sat for the KCPE examinations as a mark of completing primary education have had to contend with other institutions of learning, such as village polytechnics, after missing out on secondary school admissions. However, this trend is expected to come to an end with the government's plan to introduce free day secondary school education.
Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring that all pupils who sit for the national exams move into available secondary schools. According to Matiang'i, out of the 1,003,556 pupils who registered for the 2017 examination, 903,200 are expected to join public secondary schools, while the remaining 100,356 will be enrolled in private schools.
The increase in the Form one intake is expected to come with logistical challenges, including the need to increase the number of classrooms, sanitation facilities, and teaching staff in schools. The Kenyan government has set aside KES 56 billion for the Free Day Secondary Education roll out plan, which is expected to be implemented successfully under the leadership of Dr. Matiang'i and Prof. George Magoha of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
14-year-old Goldalyn Kakuya topped this year's examinations after scoring 455 out of a possible 500 marks. She was a pupil at St. Anne's Junior in Lubao, Kakamega County.
