Senior School Managers in Nyamira and Kisii Counties have welcomed the directive by the government that tasks chiefs to trace all grade 10 learners who are still at home, even as institutions continue to register low turnout.
Addressing the Press in various institutions, the managers said the grassroots administration officers are conversant with the homes where learners hail from and will easily ensure no child is left behind after learning has commenced.
Gekano Boys Senior School Deputy Principal, Mr. Evans Kugenda Oeri, said that with the assistance of the chiefs, all learners facing various challenges will transit to senior school.
Oeri cited past instances where area chiefs had helped schools flush out learners who had ventured into gold mines in Kuria, Migori County, and a form-four learner who had absconded from school following domestic issues but was later traced and scored a C+ during last year’s KCSE.
He expressed optimism the school will admit all the 500 allocated slots, although only 252 had been reported by Friday last week.
Robert Kerosi, deputy principal in charge of academics at Nyambaria Senior School, noted that the chiefs will be of assistance to the school, which had admitted 700 out of the 900 expected.
He noted that together with the extended deadline for reporting, most of the parents will be able to bring their children to school.
However, he explained that when some learners reported late, it affected the school programs.
Chief Principal of Rigoma Girls Secondary School, Nora Nyakundi, said chiefs knew where the families of the grade 10 learners were.
She noted that the chiefs and the village elders can also advise the parents on how to get support from various organizations, including the County Development Fund and other government agencies’ bursaries.
She said her institution, which was given 242 slots, had only admitted 109 students by Monday evening but added that efforts to contact the remaining girls were ongoing.
By Jane Naitore
