The Ministry of Education plans a second round of Grade 10 placement changes. This comes after the first seven-day period ends on Monday, December 29. Many student requests for school transfers got rejected.
Principal Secretary Julius Bitok for Basic Education noted the flood of applications. Most aimed at a few top schools with little room left.
Over 1.13 million students took the first Kenya Junior School Education Assessment, or KJSEA. More than 343,000 asked to revise their placements.
By Saturday, December 27, officials processed 183,000 requests. About 68,000 of them failed.
Bitok blamed most rejections on overcrowding at Category 1, or C1, schools. These used to be called national schools.
He said the top reason for denials is lack of space. Over 50,000 students want spots in just 20 schools.
Senior schools now fall into four groups. C1 includes old national schools. C2 covers former extra-county ones. C3 means county schools. C4 are sub-county schools.
The first round let students switch schools and pathways. But most requests just sought new schools, especially C1 ones.
The country has only 266 C1 schools. Bitok said that number can’t handle tens of thousands chasing a few hot spots.
Those top 20 schools hold 500 students each. Yet more than 60,000 kids eye them. No way to fit everyone.
So officials must say no. They urge students to try other C1 options.
Bitok gave tips for the next round in January. Students whose first tries failed can boost odds by picking certain schools.
Many C1 schools in far-off spots lack students. The ministry wants to fill them from across the nation.
Kids open to those less popular C1 schools may get approved more easily.
The revision site will reopen the first week of January. Bitok said they aim for January 6 through 9. This gives unhappy students another shot.
A total of 1,130,459 took the KJSEA. That includes 578,630 boys, or 51.19 percent. And 551,829 girls, or 48.81 percent.
Students picked their top Grade 10 schools back in May. Some disliked the results when placements came out.
The system assigns spots based on test scores and choices. It runs on autopilot.
