An overwhelming turnout of form one students for the start of their secondary school journey has been recorded in most Bungoma County schools, apparently because of the 100 per cent transition education policy.
Bungoma high School Senior Principal Enock Andanje told journalists that due to the policy, schools have had to admit more students than allocated spaces.
Andanje added that the Ministry of Education allocated the school 481 slots but they received more than 600 applications.
“The Ministry gave us 481 slots for the form one students here at Bungoma high school but so far I have over 600 applications,” he said adding, his colleagues were facing similar scenarios in their schools.
He said that due to the short education calendar, the school has put strategies in place to ensure that the syllabus is covered early so that form four students can be ready to tackle KCSE exam in November.
He affirmed that the school has a scholarship scheme that supports bright but needy students and this term, the scheme will support 30 out of 75 applicants.
Elsewhere, Nalondo CBM special national secondary school Principal Walter Wawire urged parents with disabled children not to hide them but instead take them to school to attain education to better their future.
Wawire also advised poor parents to source for items such as firewood and cereals and bring them to school to be converted to school fees, instead of taking their children to the school empty handed.
One of the parents at the school, Christine Keter from Nandi County, who spoke to KNA decried the hiked fares being charged by matatus. “I have used over Sh. 4,000 on fare from Nandi to Bungoma, my appeal to the government is that it should move with speed and reduce fuel prices to help transporters reduce bus fare for us,” she said.
