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The government yesterday launched a countrywide mop-up exercise to ensure all Form One and Grade Seven learners report to school immediately.

Cabinet Secretaries Ezekiel Machogu (Education) and Kithure Kindiki (Interior) directed National Government administrators (NGAOs) to comb their areas of jurisdictions and round up all learners who are yet to report to schools.

The move, the CSs declared, was geared towards ensuring the government achieves the 100 percent transition policy to Form One and junior secondary school (JSS).

Machogu revealed 92 per cent of the 1.2 million learners who sat last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Primary Schools Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams have reported to their respective schools leaving only 8 percent or 96,000 still yet to report.

On Wednesday, Kindiki directed the officers across the Coast region which is hardest hit by the vice to go all out and hunt for the learners who are yet to report to junior secondary  and Form One.

“We want all the children to go to school. That is one of the responsibilities cut out for our administrators, including the Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs, and assistant chiefs,” Kindiki said. He made the remarks when he addressed a public baraza in Gotani Trading Centre, Kilifi.

Low student uptake

He raised concern over the low student reporting rates recorded in the region, and tasked the administrators to engage other law enforcement agencies and education field officers to ensure all the transitioning learners are accounted for by the end of April.

Machogu separately also urged chiefs to embark on an extensive mop up campaign to ensure 100 per cent transition to form one and the Junior secondary school.

“Education is free and compulsory and that is why we are insisting on 100 percent transition and that is why we are monitoring the registration of students in junior secondary, and Form One admission,” said Machogu.

 Machogu said Kwale and Kilifi counties are notorious for failing to meet the 100 per cent transition with about 30 per cent of students having failed to join JSS.

“We have found Kwale and Kilifi counties are not doing very well, and we are asking chiefs and sub chiefs to mop up and ensure 100 percent, currently we are at 95 percent transition,” said Machogu.

Government spending

The CS warned that parents who fail to avail their children to school will be prosecuted as the government is spending a lot of money in the payment of capitation for learners.

“They have been coming slowly. We blame the parents because they have not been serious, they have been holding back their children for house chores and that is why we are embarking on a serious assignment with chiefs to mop up,” said Machogu. In Lamu, all JSS students have reported while only 74 per cent of those joining Form One have been registered.

Taita Taveta has recorded 96 per cent transition to Form One and 80 per cent to JSS while in Tana River, 99 per cent of Grade 6 learners and 82 per cent of last year’s KCPE candidates have advanced to the next step. Mombasa has transitioned 83 per cent of students to Form One and 92 percent to JSS, while Kwale has registered only 63 in Form One and 86 percent in JSS.

In Kilifi, 31 percent of learners are yet to join Form One, with 93 percent already enrolled in JSS.

 “We must make sure that the figures I have read for you improve. I want to come here in the month of April and find 100 percent transition in both Form One and JSS,” Kindiki said.

In Kajiado county, at least 6,000 students who sate the grade six examination last year are yet to report to their respective schools. The County Director of Education, Dr Martin Cheruiyot says only 76 per cent of the learners have so far reported to the various approved public and private junior secondary schools within the county. The director attributed the high number of missing students to the ongoing drought that has affected the source of livelihood of most of the residents.

Cheruiyot said that education stakeholders in the county are putting all strategies in place to ensure that there is a 100 per cent transition to junior secondary schools.

“We want to ensure that through the multi-agency approach, we will be able to reach out to the last child to ensure all children report to school. The government has approved many day schools for JSS so as to cut on boarding costs and the children can walk to schools. The only costs the parents will incur is the voluntary feeding program in the schools,” he said  “Our schools are open and they can come back. We have the whole of first term for reentry and we are hoping they come back as soon as possible irrespective of the challenges. The leadership should be able to address those challenges,” said Dr Cheruiyot.