Ministry of Education declares an additional 3,000 spots for Kuccps university enrollment.

Ministry of Education declares an additional 3,000 spots for Kuccps university enrollment.

The Ministry of Education has announced an additional 3,000 university placements for candidates who achieved the necessary university entry grades over the past five years but were not admitted. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stated that a portal has been opened for these candidates, who took their exams between 2020 and last year.

Ogamba mentioned that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will include these new candidates alongside the 246,000 students who completed the 2024 KCSE exams. “The government has extended the application period for degree courses via the KUCCPS portal to those who took the KCSE from 2020 onwards. We are now providing opportunities for approximately 305,000 students who previously did not apply for various reasons,” he explained.

He made these remarks during a prize-giving event at Mary Hill Girls School on Wednesday. In the 2024 KCSE exams, 246,391 candidates achieved the minimum university entry grade, which is 45,258 more than in 2023, raising concerns about the cutoff point.

Ogamba confirmed that all 246,391 students who attained a mean grade of C+ or higher are eligible for university placement. “The government has not reinstated a cutoff point for university admission. The minimum requirement for the 2024 KCSE cohort remains a mean grade of C+,” he clarified.

He underscored the government’s commitment to providing equitable and inclusive higher education opportunities. “We are dedicated to delivering quality and relevant education and training through a system that is inclusive, accessible, and fair. We will continue collaborating with all stakeholders in this effort,” he stated.

Additionally, it was revealed that the Ministry of Education is working quickly to conduct nationwide public participation in line with court directives regarding a new funding model. This follows a recent Court of Appeal decision that supported President William Ruto’s university funding model.

Ogamba disclosed that the ministry has been preparing a report since October of last year, which is now complete and will inform the next steps for the funding model. “No student will be turned away for not paying school fees. The new system will prioritize children from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he assured.

The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that the new funding model aims to promote equity and fairness, ensuring that students from all socio-economic backgrounds can access education without financial barriers. The government has been involved in a legal dispute at the appellate court after a High Court ruling invalidated its new funding model, introduced in May 2023, on the grounds of discrimination and insufficient public participation.

The Court of Appeal has ordered the Attorney General, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to make the funding model public within 14 days for universities, colleges, and students.

During the same event, Migos announced that schools will soon be categorized into a new framework as either triple or double pathway schools, which will replace the existing classifications of national, extra-county, county, and sub-county schools.

“This new framework will allow students to follow their passions for future success,” he said.

Furthermore, the Cabinet Secretary cautioned school principals against withholding students’ certificates, stressing that it is illegal to retain important documents for any reason.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this directive is not arbitrary; it is grounded in the law—Article 53 of the Constitution and Section 10(1)(b) of the Kenya National Examinations Council Act, 2012—which stipulates that no institution or individual should withhold a student’s certificate,” the Cabinet Secretary stated.

Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, who officiated the ceremony, urged the government to conduct broader consultations before implementing guidelines for selecting students for senior schools.

“We urge the government to continue engaging in extensive consultations before rolling out guidelines for the selection of students for senior schools. We also call for the prompt disbursement of capitation funds to basic learning institutions to ensure effective and smooth learning,” he remarked.

Bishop Kamau emphasized that the Ministry of Education should focus on properly training and equipping teachers, especially in senior schools, to improve the quality of education.

Grace Macharia, Chief Principal of Mary Hill Girls’, requested ongoing support for the school, which has over 2,000 students.

“We urgently need a multipurpose hall to support the CBC art and sports science pathways. Additionally, we request the construction of a perimeter fence to enhance the security of our girls,” Mrs. Macharia stated.

“With 587 candidates, our school achieved excellent results last year, attaining a mean score of 10.0511, an improvement from the 9.4423 recorded in 2023,” she added.

In the 2024 KCSE results, 80 students received straight A’s, 181 earned A minuses, 139 achieved B pluses, 111 got B’s, and 37 students obtained B minuses. Two students scored C pluses, five received C’s, and only two scored C minuses.