Is the idea of new national schools a mirage in Bungoma County?

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2012-01-16 19:15:00 Read 475 Times

As most schools upgrade to National schools in the country, Lugulu Girls High School in Bungoma County has reported a disappointment in the criteria used in selecting students for the form one intake by the board concerned early this year. According to the Dean of studies in the school Mr. George Ochago, before its upgrading the government had promised to select students to join the new national schools according to the schools of origin putting into consideration that 20 per cent was to come from the School’s district area, 40pc from the county the school resides and the remaining 4pc from other parts of the country. However, after the board selection, only one student has been selected from Bungoma East District, 30 students from the whole of Western province, 50 students from Rift Valley Province, 30 students from Central Province, 30 students from Eastern Province and 30 from Nyanza Province. Earlier, at PCEA Kimuka Girls Secondary School in Kajiado North, the Permanent secretary in the ministry of education Prof James ole Kiyapi defended the Secondary School Form one selection criteria. He said that the 48 National Schools allocation was fair and based on strength of student’s performance in all the counties. He cited that private schools had 17 percent of total candidates who sat for the last year’s KCPE compared to 83 percent to that of public schools. The ratio of private to public schools allocation to national schools was 1:2 meaning 35 percent of national school places were allocated to private schools and 65 percent went to public schools. “I am happy that the minister launched the form 1 selection which is unique as it was done in the spirit of the new constitution to promote equity, access and geographical diversity”, the PS had said. Dean of studies in the school Mr. George Ochago However,Mr. Ochago has expressed his concern over the issue stating that when the school was a provincial school, most of its students used to come from Bungoma County and the change that in its intake system is a sign that Bungoma County has lost one of its treasured schools. “If the government in its first intake has not lived up to the promise it made earlier, there is no guarantee that it will ever follow that criteria which is as good as saying that Bungoma County has lost its school,” said Mr. Ochago. A school that used to take in students from Western Province will now have most of its occupants from other parts of the country and hence lose its western touch. Just like the other upgraded schools in the country Lugulu Girls High School in Bungoma County is preparing itself to receive its first form one students on 6th February 2012 since being officially pronounced a national school last year. It has received Sh.12.5 Million out of the expected 25 Million to carry out renovations in the school and construction and upgrading of the school facilities to meet the national school standards. Some of the new building that have been under construction in Lugulu. “So far we have renovated 10 dormitories, 24 classrooms,2 laboratories and 2 Home Science rooms and we aim to change the school’s outlook to fit a national school level,” said Mrs. Helen Anyanga,Lugulu Girls Deputy Head teacher. Mrs. Anyanga has disclosed to West FM that the biggest challenge faced in its upgrading is changing the school’s diet which will lead to a rise in the school fees which the continuing students that joined the school before its upgrading may not easily adapt to. The teachers looked psyched up for the big challenge ahead of beating the national academic standards, stating that they have been close to a national school all along and it will not be hard. With its first selected student attaining 433 marks, and the last one with 293, 122 among the selected 217 from Private sponsored schools and the remaining 95 from Public sponsored schools in the country.