Extend deadline for Nemis registration of Learners, teachers plead

Extend deadline for Nemis registration, teachers plead

Teacher unions are urging the Ministry of Education to prolong the deadline for enrolling students in primary schools within the National Education Management Information System (Nemis).

The registration period in the online data management system ended at midnight on Easter Monday. The Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) reported that school heads were facing network issues that impeded data entry into the Nemis portal.

“For the last two weeks, many heads of institutions have been unable to complete the forms in the portal to enroll students under Nemis, hence the appeal for a few days’ extension of the deadline,” stated Kepsha national chairperson Fuad Ali.

He urged for an immediate enhancement of the Nemis system to resolve the technical difficulties encountered by headteachers and expedite the enrollment of students.

“Enrolling students under Nemis will allow the Ministry of Education to calculate capitation funds for individual schools when they reopen for the second term on February 28, 2025. Heads of institutions have been working tirelessly to register students as mandated by the ministry, yet many have not been successful,” Mr. Ali informed reporters on Tuesday.

Nemis was launched by the Ministry of Education on July 31, 2017, with 600 schools participating in a pilot program prior to a complete rollout in January 2018.

As of 2024, over 10. 4 million students have been registered in public and private primary schools throughout the nation, according to the Ministry of Education.

To enroll students, a head teacher receives a code via email to access the portal and provide the necessary information. However, there have been issues reported regarding delays or the non-receipt of the code needed for system access.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary-general Collins Oyuu backed the request for an extension, asserting that it was in the best interest of students who could be excluded from the system.

“If there are challenges preventing students or heads of institutions from accurately capturing students’ information, the deadline should be prolonged to allow everyone to be registered,” said Mr. Oyuu.

He urged the Ministry of Education to respond positively to the requests from heads of institutions to facilitate the registration of all students, which is vital for appropriate planning and funding.

“It benefits no one to leave any student out of registration,” he mentioned.

While speaking in Bomet County, Mr. Oyuu highlighted that every child has the right to education and to receive support through government funding.

“We are making a respectful request to the ministry to provide teachers with additional time to input students’ information, given the network issues encountered over the past few weeks,” he added.

Capitation funds

The Ministry of Education only disburses capitation funds for students registered in the Nemis portal and not for those simply listed in a school’s physical records.
“For instance, if a school has 800 students and only 200 have registered on Nemis, the ministry will disregard the remaining 600 even if they are present in school and included in the school’s physical register,” stated Knut’s first national chairman Malel Langat.

A significant obstacle in enrolling students in Grades 1–3 has been the absence of birth certificates, which school leaders claim has continued for years.

“Students living with guardians, particularly their grandparents, frequently lack birth certificates. This is a critical problem that the government must resolve. These young children require assistance in obtaining essential registration documents,” expressed a head teacher in Bomet County.

A birth certificate is necessary to create an examination assessment number for the student. Nemis subsequently assigns each learner a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) that they utilize throughout their educational journey. The system also captures each learner’s birthplace, parental information, schools attended, and academic performance.

The Nemis also utilizes the Nemis registration information to allocate textbooks to schools. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogambo recently highlighted the significance of Nemis in the management of schools.

“Nemis is vital in the administration of educational institutions, particularly in influencing government funding,” Mr. Ogambo remarked during a recent visit to Konoin and Sotik constituencies in Bomet County.