Form One Admissions and Change of School Placements 2024- Ministry of Education Guidelines

The Ministry of Education, MoE, has released the 2024 form one admission guidelines. The document details how the 2024 form placement was done. Also contained in the circular are guidelines on how to change form one placement 2024.

Here is the full circular from the Ministry;

GUIDELINES ON FORM ONE ADMISSION 2024

Introduction

The admission of form ones has been automated starting with access to joining instructions to reporting and replacements.

Automation under the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS)

Letters of admission will be accessed online using the candidates index number
The process of admission and replacement at school level will be through NEMIS. All schools, both public and private, will admit form ones through NEMIS. The lists of students selected to a school will be uploaded to the Schools NEMIS account.
No principal shall enter a student’s name into NEMIS before he/she reports to the school.
Live daily reporting will be monitored through NEMIS.

Management of Replacements

It is possible that some schools might have vacancies at the end of the admission period due to some learners failing to report. In addition, some schools may have completed infrastructure development that has created additional spaces.

Candidates who fail to take up places in the schools where they were selected to will be replaced after the reporting deadline.

Parents/guardians who wish that their children are admitted in alternative schools and those wishing to be considered for replacement will themselves place the requests with the principals of preferred schools at least two weeks before official Form One reporting date.

As much as possible, schools are advised to engage with parents and children who wish to be considered in the event of some vacancy. Middlemen have been known to position themselves strategically during this exercise and many desperate parents have lost money, while innocent school principals have had their reputation tarnished.

Priority will be given to those who chose the school.

A school that wishes to accept a request will enter such details in the admission form in NEMIS and must be backed by evidence of request.

The Ministry will control the number of requests to be approved based on documented capacity.

All cases of replacement will be done through NEMIS and approved in the system as follows,

National schools- Director, Secondary Education(DSE)
Extra County Schools -Regional Directors of Education (RDE)
County Schools – County Director of Education (CDE)
Sub County Schools – Sub-County Director of Education (SCDE)

On approval, the joining instructions will be accessed online.

Replacements once approved will be irreversible. Where requests are placed in multiple schools and one request is approved, the candidate will be locked out from all the others.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS INVOLVED IN SELECTION PROCESS

Director General.

Director General will advise on overall policy direction including placement for extra- territorial requests and deferred cases.

Director, Secondary Education (DSE)

The DSE will perform the following roles:

Obtaining form 1 intake projection data for all secondary schools from County Directors of Education (CDEs)
Directing and coordinating operations of the selection exercise.
Preparing the selection process timetable.
Monitoring and evaluating the selection and students’ admission processes
Handling any queries on form one admission nationally.
Enforcing adherence to the Ministry’s guidelines on form I selection and the approved fees structure
Appointing senior officers from Ministry Headquarters to coordinate launch of extra-county, county and sub county selections at the regions.
Ensuring that form 1 joining instructions are accessible online to the selected learners.
Ensuring that the ministry’s call Centre is fully operational and effectively addresses public concerns /inquiries on form 1 selection and admission.
Approving requests for National schools’ replacement through the NEMIS system

Regional Directors of Education (RDES)

Regional Directors of Education will be responsible to the Director Secondary Education for the successful conduct of the selection and admission process in the Regions under their jurisdiction.

Their specific duties will include: –

Ensuring that the principals of all categories of secondary schools declare the actual/correct and true form 1 intake capacities of their schools (before and after selection).
Coordinate CDEs to ensure smooth form one selection and admission
Ensuring that in the event of any discrepancies or under-declaration of vacancies, due process is followed, and the anomaly corrected and any additional admission communicated to DSE/MOE HQ for updating.
Checking and authenticating/confirming school capacities against selection lists at the end of the form one selection exercise
Approving requests for Extra County school’s replacement through the NEMIS system

County Directors of Education (CDE)

County Directors of Education will be responsible to the Director Secondary Education for the successful conduct of the selection and admission process in their respective Counties.

Their specific duties will include:

Compilation and submission to the MOE the county form one projection data from SCDEs
and principals.
Coordinating launch of the Sub-county selection process.
Managing emerging issues pertaining to Form one selection and admission at the County level.
Enforcing the Ministry’s selection and fees guidelines in their counties.
Approval of requests for county and sub county replacement through the NEMIS system

Sub-county Directors of Education

Their roles include:

Liaising with Principals to identify available form one places.
Submission to the CDE form one projection data from principals of secondary schools in their sub counties
Presiding over and Coordinating Form One selection exercise in their respective sub-counties..
Handling any queries pertaining to Form One admission at the sub-county.
Enforcing the Ministry’s form one selection and fees guidelines in the sub-county.
Ensuring that all students/learners selected to join form sub counties transit to secondary schools.
Collaborating with the ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to ensure 1O0% transition from primary to secondary education.

Principals of Secondary Schools

Principals are required to play key role in the successful delivery of this exercise by;

Ensuring that accurate data and information on available form 1 vacancies in their schools is provided to Sub county Director of Education SCDE) for onward transmission to MOE
Preparing Form One joining instructions in compliance with the Ministry’s guidelines
Make request for replacement through NEMIS
Receiving and ranking form 1-replacement requests on merit.
Inviting selected candidates to their schools.
Creating a conducive learning environment for admitted students.
Ensuring effective implementation of the Ministry’s guidelines on admission and approved fees structure in their schools.
Reporting and assisting the tracing of learners who fail to join form one

All officers involved are required to co-operate and play their respective roles to ensure a fair and credible admission process and a smooth transition of learners from primary to secondary education.