Parents who have Grade 6 students in private schools might not have to select other junior secondary schools.
A number of private schools have chosen to retain Grade 6 learners to proceed to junior secondary in the same institution.
This was an initial directive from the Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha in March.
While commissioning Competency Based Curriculum classrooms at the Moi Education Centre, Magoha urged the school management to retain learners.
“I urge private schools, in your own capacity, to proceed with Grade 6 learners to junior secondary,” he said.
Moi Education Centre principal Eunice Muthusi said they will retain learners and have more space for newcomers.
“We are moving with the learners to Grade 7. We have nine classes and 12 laboratories for the same,” Muthusi told the Star.
A spot check by mentorhub revealed that most private schools have opted for the retention.
The portal for junior secondary selection was opened on August 15 and will be closed on August 30.
A school in Machakos County invited Grade 6 parents for a meeting on Monday, a day to the deadline.
“The school wants us to have our children proceed to junior secondary in the same school that’s why they want a meeting,” a parent from the school told the mentorhub.
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Another school in Nairobi County is planning to meet parents to negotiate school fees.
The institution said most parents are not willing to remove their children from that school.
“My daughter is already used to going to that school and she is still young, I don’t want her to change the environment,” another parent said.
According to the Basic Education Curriculum Framework, learners in Grade 7 are around 11 to 12 years.
Magoha advised parents to select schools which are closer home, so that learners become day scholars.
According to a list sent to school heads, Nairobi County has the highest number of approved private schools.
Nairobi County has 142 schools followed by Kiambu county with 114 schools.
The list gives the number of classes in each school together with the classroom capacity and the number of students.
Nairobi county has 60,359 slots for students in private schools, followed by Kiambu with 22,665 slots.
A number of counties have fewer than 10 schools approved, which means more students in the selected counties will go to public schools.
Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana and Samburu counties have one school, while Narok and Kericho have two schools approved.
The outgoing CS said for a school to offer junior secondary, it should have a laboratory for sciences and also have storage cabinets.
Counties with between three and 20 schools are Baringo (8), Bomet (4), Bungoma (19), Busia (13), Embu (8), Isiolo (4), Kakamega (13), Kisii (4), Kwale (15), Laikipia (8) and Kwale (15).
Others are Lamu (4), Mandera (6), Marsabit (4), Migori (4), Muranga (15), Nandi (5), Nyamira (15), Nyandaruam (15), Nyeri (13), Siaya (18),Taita Taveta (8), Tharaka Nithi (12), Trans Nzoia (6) and Vihiga (7).
Counties with 20 to 100 schools approved to host junior secondary school learners are Homa Bay (39), Kajiado (66), Kilifi (45), Kirinyaga (42), Kisumu (26) and Kitui (29).
Others are Machakos (55), Makueni (41), Meru (25), Mombasa (45), Nakuru (31) and Uasin Gishu (29).