Boost as 143,000 candidates qualify for varsity entry

About 143,000 candidates who sat last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination qualified for direct university admissions after they attained the requisite qualification of Grade C+ (plus) in the results released yesterday. 

This, according to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha reflected 19.03 per cent of the 747,161 candidates who sat the exam that ended three weeks ago, and was an improvement compared to 2019 when 25,746 candidates (18.02 per cent) attained the minimum university grade.

However, despite about 81 per cent of candidates having not qualified to join university, Magoha said all of them have a slot in other institutions of higher learning, adding that it is in the government’s interests to ensure all of them pursue careers by advancing their education.

The enrolment time will not be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic that forced the government to alter the academic calendar, he said.

“Already, Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), whose CEO Agnes Wahome is here today, has identified that our 10 universities, colleges and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have places for all candidates,” the CS said.

Regarding those who did not qualify to join universities, Magoga said: “All the remaining candidates are eligible to join TVET institutions, Teacher Training Colleges, Medical Training Colleges and other tertiary learning institutions for various courses.”

“They can now join TVET institutions, TTCs, medical training institutions and universities at exactly the same time as they have always done, the effects of Covid-19 notwithstanding,”.

The Placement Service, the minister revealed, was engaging with higher education regulatory bodies such as Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) 11, to ensure that all learning institutions are prepared to enroll all the candidates.

This, the CS said is in line with Ministry of Education’s goal of providing fair and balanced access to quality and relevant higher education and training and the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s policy of 100 percent transition, adding that the exercise would start immediately

“All the candidates have a place in our education story. Our government has ensured that every child in our country has a place to pursue a career, and everyone deserves a chance.

We believe no insignificant child has been born in our country and we must not leave any learner behind,”  the minister told a press conference.

The government, he added, has a duty to nurture each of the learners to pursue their dreams regardless of how low they start to the very top of the academic ladder.