The national transition rate for grade six learners who sat for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment to junior secondary school stands at 96 per cent, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has said.

Speaking during a monitoring exercise at Bobaracho Primary School in Kisii Central Sub County, the CS said the government has stepped up efforts in Counties that were not performing well in terms of the transition to ensure 100 percent transition for learners in junior and senior secondary schools.

Machogu appealed to the County and Sub-County education officials as well as the Ministry of Interior to assist in mopping up the few learners who had not sought admission to secondary schools.

“This is a multi-agency assignment and we must mop up the students so that any child who has not been able to go to school can be able to do so in the course of this week,” the CS noted.

In terms of senior secondary school transition, Machogu said the transition has hit 91 percent and urged chiefs and assistant chiefs to collaborate with education officers so that all students join form one.

Further, he told school heads to allow the junior secondary learners to retain the uniform they wore in primary schools until the parents are able to purchase the new uniforms required for Grade Seven.

The CS said the capitation for students in junior secondary school was ready for disbursement and will be based on the enrolment in schools with each learner being allocated Sh.15 042.

Machogu noted they had distributed textbooks worth Sh 17 million to junior secondary schools countrywide adding that the books will cover all the subjects taught in Grade Seven.

“There are a few subject areas where we have not been able to send the textbooks, but the exercise is ongoing and next week, we will finalize giving out the books to every junior secondary school in the whole country,” he pointed out.

Regarding infrastructure, the CS said there are enough classrooms and the government has partnered with the World Bank to build 80,000 laboratories at a cost of Sh 10 billion which will meet about 40 percent of the Ministry’s requirement.

Machogu also requested Members of Parliament to prioritize the allocation of funds from the National Government Constituency Development Fund kitty towards constructing more laboratories in junior secondary schools to bridge the gap.

He noted the Competency-Based Curriculum task force report indicated that Kenyans have approved the curriculum as a good system that will equip the students with the necessary competency skills and urged the lawmakers to support the education system.