A student from Migori County, aged 24, who scored 415 in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), has missed out on a Form One placement spot.
Despite sitting in the KCPE for a record fourth time in a decade, Paul Wasonga failed to secure a spot in Form One in the placements announced by CS Magoha on Monday.
Most of the top-ranked candidates in the 2021 KCPE exam will attend secondary schools of their choice on May 3, the same dream Paul had while he was waiting for the results.
Mr Wasonga expressed concern that he now faced a bleak future after his name was rejected by the system.
“I reached out to the county director of education, who told me that my name was rejected by the system because according to it, I was sitting in the KCPE in 2018,” he said.
He said he was told the system showed he was a student because he had already been placed in high school in 2018.
However, under the rules of the Ministry of Education, KCPE candidates above 19 years of age are not placed in secondary schools. The same applies to prisoners and foreigners as well.
Despite having chosen to attend various schools in the past, his attempts to continue his education failed, forcing him to repeat the eighth grade several times.
“My journey to primary school has been long. In fact, I’ve been a candidate for over 10 years now. This was my fourth attempt to appear in the national exam,” he said.
Mr. Wasonga took his first KCPE exam in 2012 at Kangeso Primary in Rongo sub-county and got 306 marks.
His main concern, as before, is securing a place in a secondary school after establishing Capsbet Boys as his dream school.
“Now that I have missed out on Form One selection, I am looking for a chance in any school to fulfill my dreams. The ministry should listen to my plight and get me admitted in a school.
“I may not be that young, but I still hold on to the hope that my dream of becoming a doctor will eventually come true.”
His previous main concern was the lack of sufficient funds to use as his secondary school fees. But this is now compounded by the fact that he cannot be admitted in Form One.
“I am excited that one day I will step into a secondary school and secure my future through it. I know I will be disappointed if given a chance. I am only yearning to get admission.”
