Alarm as 200,000 JSS Students Fail To Report to School
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has revealed that more than 200,000 students in Kenya have not yet joined Junior Secondary School (JSS) due to their parents’ fears of incurring costs, including fees and buying educational books.
However, the CS reiterated that JSS education is free and compulsory, and parents will only be required to contribute towards their children’s lunch.
The Ministry of Education will take action against school officials who demand payments other than the ones stipulated by the government, Machogu added.
Machogu stated that the Ministry of Education was working with County Commissioners, area chiefs, and their assistants to ensure that all children reported to school as expected.
The CS warned parents and teachers against registering students who were meant to join JSS for the 2023 KCPE exams, as they would not be allowed to sit for any exams other than the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) exams.
The CS clarified that learners’ books and teacher’s guides would be distributed across schools, and parents had no obligation to buy books.
“A total of 17,893,270 copies of learners’ books and 423,514 copies of teachers’ guides will be distributed by the end of the exercise next week,” affirmed Machogu.
On Monday, February 13, Machogu directed school officials to file reports on the progress of enrollment of grade seven learners, stating that they ought to report any challenges faced during the admission for the government to address.
The CS was addressing reports that some parents were colluding with schools to register Grade 7 pupils for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.
Machogu’s emphasis on the free and compulsory nature of JSS education and the distribution of educational materials is a positive step towards ensuring all children receive an education.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Education and local government officials is also promising, as it will help identify and address challenges facing parents and students in accessing education.
Alarm as 200,000 JSS Students Fail To Report to School