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The Latest Education News Highlights
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###Gov’t prepared to handle emergency cases of pregnant girls sitting for exams, official says
The ministry of education is prepared to handle cases of emergency among pregnant girls set to sit for their exams from tomorrow, Monday, November 28.
This is according to Kajiado County Commissioner Harun Kamau.
In Kajiado county, there are 124 pregnant girls among 26,865 candidates registered to sit for exams. Pregnant KCSE candidates make up the majority at 86 and KCPE 28 girls. 10 girls will be writing their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
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###Five schools will be merged in Baringo South to do the national examinations
This is following vandalism in various schools in the insecurity prone area. Pupils from Arabal, Chebinyiny, Kapindasum, Kasiela and Chemorongion primary schools will all sit for KCPE and KEPSEA exams at Chemorongion primary school.
Even though there is calmness in the area and locals have started going back home, Elijah Kiptoon, Headteacher Kapindasum Primary School says property in number of schools were vandalized by bandits, therefore pupils cannot go back to their schools and have all been assembled at one station.
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###Parents lament harsh treatment by head teachers as national exams start
Rose Atieno Ongusu is a worried mother. Today, her son was supposed to sit for his Grade six exams at Unity Primary School in Umoja Innercore in Nairobi, if only his name was in the register and not in Igotho Primary School, in Kiambu.
The child, says Rose, was registered at Unity Primary School, but on Thursday, he told her that he had not been listed among those who will be sitting for their grade six assessment tests.
“I rushed to the school and the head teacher confirmed that his name was not in the records. I asked her to explain what happened, because we had submitted all requirements to enable the child to sit for his exams. She said she did not know, and asked me to confirm that we had not registered our child in a different school,” said Ms Atieno.
“Using my child’s index number and name, she found out that my child has been registered in Kiambu County. She said she didn’t know where the school was, but promised to visit the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Offices the next day to investigate.
“I went back on Saturday, but the head teacher was cold towards me. She insisted that my child would use an answer sheet with someone else’s name, and that she would follow up with KNEC, who would then sort out the issue.”
When called for response, the Principal, Ms Catherine Birir said all matters that concern the school are handled within the school, and that any parent that has an issue should take it up with the school.
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###KCPE Candidate Gives Birth In Tharaka Nithi
A candidate sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams in Tharaka Constituency, Tharaka Nithi County has given birth.
The candidate welcomed her baby on Monday morning at the Marimanti Hospital before starting the Mathematics paper.
Area Education Director Salecio Maringe says the candidate will continue to write her exam from the hospital.
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Only 9pc of Kenyans have permanent, full-time jobs:
Less than 10 percent of Kenyan adults have permanent full-time jobs, underscoring the high poverty and dependency levels.
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###High school students among arrested revellers!
At least 28 high school children arrested in night raid on bars in Runyenjes, Embu County, police say.
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###NCBA writes off Sh11bn Fuliza, M-Shwari loans
NCBA Bank will write off more than Sh11.25 billion of bad loans under its digital platforms being the hardest-hit lender in the recent banking sector framework aimed at removing Kenyans from negative credit listing.
The lender has said it is engaging borrowers under digital platforms—Fuliza and M-Shwari — who have defaulted on short-term loans to cancel 50 per cent of the amount and repay half within six months.
READ: NCBA plans new M-Shwari company from banking unit
This comes after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced a credit repair framework seeking to remove phone digital borrowers from negative listing on credit reference bureaus (CRBs) and improve their credit standing.
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###Court saves employers from matching NHIF contributions
The court has saved employers from paying the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) an estimated Sh31 billion after it blocked enforcement of a law that seeks to compel them to match contributions for their workers.
NHIF chief executive Peter Kamunyo made the revelations to lawmakers on the ruling that was made by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
The NHIF Amendment Act, 2022 which became law in January seeks to compel employers to match the NHIF contributions of their workers and not deduct the cash from their salaries.
Those seeking to be exempted will be required to provide a private medical scheme with benefits equal to or better than those offered by NHIF.
Matching the contributions would have increased NHIF annual premiums to Sh111 billion from the current Sh80 billion, boosting the scheme in the provision of universal healthcare.
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