Let there be second selection for form ones, Kuppet says.

 Kuppet Executive Secretary in Kisumu County Zablon Awange at his office in Kisumu.He has asked the Government to ensure that there is second selection for form ones students joining secondary schools next year-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

November 27, 2018.

Let there be second selection for form ones, Kuppet says.

THE Government has been told to ensure that there is a second selection for form ones students joining secondary schools across the country.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers{KUPPET} says there is no way form one selection will only be done once as earlier indicated by the Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed.

Address the press at his office in Kisumu, Kisumu County Kuppet Executive Secretary Zablon Awange maintained that there has been a second form one intake every year and if a total there is going to be any changes then stakeholders should have been involved earlier.

He says second selection has been playing a greater role in the life of every class eight candidate by allowing them to join schools of their choice.

He claims that by the Ministry of education denying pupils second selection, this may be a fodder for corruption through bribery.

Awange says second form one intake is also very vital because it will help to replace those students who have not reported in such schools they have were to be selected to join.

“As Kuppet, we are saying that there should be a second intake for form ones across the country because it is through that the schools will know how many students have reported and how many have not,” he says.

Awange says it has also been meaningful to students who might be selected to schools which are having a problem in terms of weather hence the student may not want to go there because he or she is facing health challenges like being asthmatic.

“One may be selected to join a school within a very cold environment and he or she may not want to go there simply due to health reasons and this is where second selection of form ones will assist the student to go to the school with a right environment,” Awange adds.

He says the Union demands that the Ministry of Education to stop experimenting with the lives of the form ones students by placing them in secondary schools only as a result of first selection of form ones.

“If there is no second selection for form ones, then we expect the students will have already started rebelling from the day they have been admitted in form one because they have been put in schools where they are not comfortable with,” he adds.

He says education system should not be taken as a punitive measure, adding that one of the ways in which such punitive measure is being perpetuated is by not allowing the students to go to schools of their choice during the form one selection.

“It depends on who is going to pay the school fees because a student can be selected to join a very expensive school and the guardian or the parent paying the fees would like to change and this is where the second selection comes in,” he further says.

Awange says the other reason for the second selection also assist the students to go to schools where they can develop their talents academically and sports, adding that first selection may only place a student in a school which emphasizes on academics and passing exams only. 

“Second selections helps in redistributing students, the students to get the schools which can help them nature their talents as well as helping the parents to know which schools are pocket friendly in terms of paying the fee. It will also help the students to know the religion in which the school in subscribing to. For example a Muslim can he selected to a catholic school but he or she may not want to join such school, it is only through the second selection which will help such a student to join the school of his choice,” Awange further says.

Awange has supported the 100 percent transitional rate to secondary school but is quick to pin point that there must be proper and adequate structures put in place in secondary schools.

He says enough teachers should also be hired to handle the high number of students joining secondary schools as a result of the 100 percent transitional rate.

During last week on Monday while announcing this year’s KCPE Results in Mombasa, Education Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohamed said that form one selection exercise will be done on December 3 and it will be done only once for all the categories of secondary schools.

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