Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said the candidates who sat for the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams will now join Form One on August 2, 2021.
The CS was speaking while launching the Form One 2021 selection exercise at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), where he indicated that a total of 585,942 girls compared to 585,323 boys will be joining Form one.
“We have 17,406 girls and 18,848 boys joining national schools this year. We have strictly applied the principles of equity, fairness, merit, transparency, inclusiveness and affirmative action in the form one selection and that is why the placement has taken longer,” he said
A total of 1,187,517 form ones will report between 19th and 23rd July, 2021. Incidentally, other learners will be on recess since the 2021 academic year starts on 26th July, 2021.
Learners who may be dissatisfied to schools where they would be placed will have a one month window to apply for change of placement.
The Ministry has set the review period to be from the 20th June to 20th July, 2021 Application for change of placement will be done online and would only be possible if vacancies would still exist in the ‘preferred schools.
The CS said the Ministry of Education had carried out an audit of all the available vacancies in both public and private schools, but he did not disclose how many they were.
The selection exercise, which was supposed to be done on May 28, 2021, was to place candidates in their schools of choice. However, the CS, while releasing the KCPE results 2021, said will be done as per declared spaces in the schools, and the candidate’s performance.
“To ensure all candidates are placed in schools of their choice based on performance and available vacancies, the ministry will ensure the process is credible and of high integrity,” said Magoha.
In February this year, the ministry made changes to the selection of secondary school process in the day school category.
Admissions
Through a circular, the ministry directed headteachers to ensure that 1.1 million candidates choose secondary day schools that are in their locality where their guardians or parents reside.
“I wish to assure the country that the ministry has conducted an audit of all new and existing vacancies in all our private and public schools to enable us to admit all learners under the free day secondary school programme,” said Magoha.
A total of 1,179,192 candidates sat the 2020 KCPE exam compared to 1,083,456 in 2019.
“We are determined to work with the relevant agencies to ensure no candidate misses a place in secondary school,” said the CS.
“In the meantime, I urge all parents and guardians to take good care of our children so that all of them are able to take up their Form One spaces in schools they will be admitted to.”
At the same time, Magoha said there are 9,000 spaces under the Elimu Scholarship Programme sponsored by the Equity Bank, which are for needy children.
“Reports from all our public schools is that all those who benefitted in 2019 are doing exceptionally well,” he added.
The ministry, he said, will soon announce details on the process of application for the scholarships.
How to download form one 2021 admission letter.
It is worth-nothing that secondary schools do not send admission letters to students. The ministry of education has provided a simple online platform where form one 2021 students can conveniently download their admission letter.
To download your letter follow these steps:
1. Go to: Form one 2021 admission letter For National Schools, Form one 2020 admission letter For Extra county Schools and Form one 2021 admission letter For County Schools.
2. Select the county and sub-county you sat KCPE then key in your index number and Submit.
3. Click on the link named “admission letter” at the bottom of the page for a copy of your admission letter.
4. Use the printer icon to print or download icon to download to your computer.
5. Get your primary school’s headteacher to endorse the letter and stamp it in the space provided.
Finally, present it for admission together with a certified copy of birth certificate
