The government has issued a firm ultimatum to school principals, directing them to admit all Grade 10 learners by Friday or risk losing their jobs, as authorities push to achieve a full transition under the new education system.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said no learner should be turned away from school over lack of fees or uniform, warning that any principal found blocking admission would face disciplinary action.
Speaking in Kisii on Sunday, Ogamba said schools must ensure all Grade 10 students are fully settled in class by January 30, regardless of their financial situation.
“Any teacher who will decline to admit a student just because the student does not have school fees or a uniform should be ready to go back to school,” Ogamba said, in a blunt warning to school heads.
According to the CS, about 92 per cent of learners have already reported to their respective schools, with the government now focusing on the remaining 8 per cent who are yet to transition.
The tough call follows earlier reports showing that the Grade 10 transition rate had dropped to about 75 per cent in some areas, raising questions over increased dropouts linked to poverty and lack of basic school requirements.
In response, the government has intensified mop-up operations across the country. On January 18, the Ministry of Interior said local administrators had been deployed to conduct door-to-door visits to trace learners who had not reported to Junior or Senior Secondary Schools.
The ministry said county governments would play a central role in distributing bursaries and scholarships to support vulnerable families and ensure no child is locked out of school due to financial hardship.
“Government actors and parents are strengthening bursary mobilisation, counselling and re-entry support, community engagement through local leadership structures, and faster placement guidance,” the ministry said in a statement.
With the Friday deadline fast approaching, the government says it will not tolerate resistance from school administrators, insisting that full Grade 10 transition is a non-negotiable pillar of education reforms.
