Ministry of Education in Loitoktok Sub County has expressed concern over overwhelming number of learners who will be transiting to secondary schools next year.
Loitoktok Sub County Director of Education Peter Bitah expressed concerned over 11,000 candidates are expected to transit to secondary schools whose capacity is about 2,000 learners.
While addressing an Education Stakeholders Dialogue Day Forum at The AIC Girls Secondary School in Loitoktok Bitah said 5,684 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates will be sitting for their exams at the end of this year while 5,653 are six graders who will be also joining junior secondary next year.
Bitah called on the stakeholders to plan ahead and prepare for the anticipated large number in the secondary schools.
The Director noted that in the Sub County there are 69 and 60 public and private primary schools respectively against 22 secondary schools.
He noted the overwhelming number of learners to transit next year calls for more classes as well as staffing in the Sub County which is already understaffed.
However Bitah pointed that some of the sixth graders who will be sitting for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will be accommodated in primary schools neigbouring secondary schools.
He elaborated that teachers will be moving to primary school for classes while learners will be going for laboratory classes in secondary schools.
He said a solution is being sought for sixth graders where there is no Secondary School nearby while urging parents to assist the children in selecting schools.
Bitah also allayed fear of parents on the age of graders noting that they should not be worried of the age of the graders for there are even younger learners in boarding schools, however they should be concerned about chances of not being able to transit due to vacancies.
He further said the education sector is facing a myriad of challenges citing prevailing drought which has forced parents who are predominantly cattle keepers to move to other areas and neigbouring counties for pasture hence their children dropping out of schools.
He noted that about 400 learners are currently not attending schools in the Sub county due to drought.
Bitah called upon the stakeholders to come up with a durable solution to this recurring problem citing embracing of crop farming and reduce over-reliance on cattle keeping as one of the remedies that can be employed.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, Chairman Loitoktok branch, Mungori Kirea applauded the forum which has created a platform to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting education sector in the Sub County.
He called upon the government to consider giving schools subsidized maize through National Cereal and Produce Board to cushion the schools against the biting drought and high prices of food stuff which are adversely affecting schools.
