The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has raised serious concerns over the ongoing Grade 10 transition saying a significant number of learners in Bungoma County are yet to report to their assigned schools due to what the union describes as a flawed placement system by the Ministry of Education.
Addressing the press at his office on Wednesday, Bungoma County KUPPET Executive Secretary Augustine Luketelo said the new placement mechanism has caused widespread confusion among parents and learners particularly in rural areas.
He noted that many students have been placed far from their home counties, making it difficult for them to report.
“The system used by the Ministry of Education to place learners is very unfair. How do you pick a child from a local school in Bungoma County and post them to a day school in Lodwar or Trans-Nzoia? How do you expect such a learner to survive?” Luketelo posed.
He argued that the Ministry should urgently revise the placement system to allow learners who wish to remain within their counties to be admitted to schools nearby saying the current approach disproportionately affects children from humble backgrounds.
According to Luketelo, many parents lack access to the internet or the technical know -how required to navigate the online school selection and transfer process.
“Most of these learners come from rural families where internet access and connectivity is low. Parents do not know how to log in and change the schools their children have been called to,” he said.
The unionist urged the Ministry to consider reverting to the former 8-4-4 placement system which he said was more structured, predictable and better understood by parents, teachers and learners alike.
“The new placement structure has disorganized both learners and parents and that is why many students have not reported to school,” he added.
Luketelo also dismissed assurances by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba that most Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) candidates have successfully transitioned to Grade 10 saying the reality on the ground tells a different story.
“Some learners have failed to join national and extra-county schools where they were placed. The Ministry must ensure bursaries are released on time and elected leaders should move around identifying such students so that they can be supported,” he said.
However, as the union prepares for its county elections scheduled for Saturday, KUPPET aspirants have intensified last-minute campaigns with education transition challenges emerging as a key issue shaping debates and influencing delegates’ choices ahead of the polls.
Luketelo announced that on Saturday the union will conduct elections for various positions, the elections would be conducted at Masinde Muliro stadium in Bungoma.
