The government has capped the school fees for national schools at Sh53,554 and county schools at Sh40,555, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said on Monday.
He spoke at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) during the briefing to announce Form 1 selection, where he also revealed that Form Ones will begin reporting to school between February 6 and 13.
He added that all candidates in the November KCPE exams have been placed in secondary schools, as the government seeks to ensure 100 percent transition from primary to secondary school.
From Tuesday, learners will be able to access the portal to check the schools they have been assigned to, the CS added.
Education PS Belio Kipsang asked schools to give parents freedom to identify places to buy uniforms so they can get competitive prices.
Speaking during the placement of form one students, Mr Kipsang said that schools should not limit the stores where parents get uniforms for their children transitioning from Grade Six to Seven.
This is after CS Machogu revealed that the Ministry had arrived at the decision to have different uniforms for Junior Secondary School (JSS) to distinguish primary from secondary learners.
“We will leave the decision on the type and colour of uniform for the respective boards of schools,” he said.
The announcement comes days after parents complained that new uniforms would be an additional cost in what is an already difficult economic time.
“The police and nurses have common uniforms. Uniform does not contribute to the performance of a child in school, it is like going to an office with or without a tie, but you perform your duties. The question of children having different uniforms in Kenya has been a problem because the cost differs, some are very expensive and sold at specific shops,” said Silas Obuhatsa, the National Parents Association chairperson.
Mr Machogu said that all 1.2 million students who did Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in 32,555 centers across the country will transit all to JSS in line with the government’s 100 per cent transition policy.
He added that results from KPSEA will be available from tomorrow on the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) portal.
