Schools brace themselves for Grade 4, Form One

Schools reopen Monday in an activity-filled first term, including the launch of the Grade Four curriculum, reporting of Form Ones and learners registering for national examinations.

Primary pupils report to school today while secondary schools reopen on Wednesday.

Form One students are expected to report to their schools between January 13 and 17.

Parents across the country were busy shopping for their children at book stores, supermarkets and uniform dealers on Sunday.

In Mombasa, locals decried the high price of items. “I expected prices to be high but not this much. I have used far more than what I had budgeted for,” Ms Mary Wanjigi, the mother of a Form One student, said.

Businesses dealing in metal boxes thrived. Some parents urged the government to regulate the fees charged by secondary schools, blaming some principals of exploiting them.

BUSINESS BOOMS

In Makueni, the fate of at least 16 students picked as beneficiaries of the inaugural Elimu Scholarship programme is unknown after county education officials expunged their names from the list at the eleventh hour.

“Anyone who was in a private primary school was disqualified from the Elimu scholarship scheme following a directive by the government,” Kibwezi Sub-County director of education Kennedy Machora said.

Five students in the sub-county are among those disqualified.

There are fears that among those in the list are orphans and sick learners who scored at least 280 marks out of a possible 500 in the 2019 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.

Several supermarkets and shops in Nakuru registered good business as parents and their children bought books, pens, rulers, mathematical sets and other items.

Business for many book sellers in Nyanza also boomed. Some stores ran out of stock by mid afternoon.

SEAMLESS EXERCISE

Parents interviewed by the Nation raised concerns that Grade Four books were not available.

“We paid for the books about a week ago but they have not yet arrived. My child gave me a list of five books that he was asked to go with to school but I have been told to wait for a few more days,” Mr Charles Magati lamented.

A number of Form One parents praised the Kenya National Examinations Council for releasing the KCPE test results early, saying it had helped them plan for their children.

“After picking my son’s uniform, the only thing left will be paying his school fees, which is about Sh20,680. Getting his results in November helped me budget for the festive season and his fee,” one said.

In Nairobi, the rush associated with back-to-school week was not pronounced. Activity at the few shops that opened was minimal.

There was no scramble for transport at Machakos Country and other terminals.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Some students reported to their secondary schools on Sunday ahead of the official opening date.

Kisumu Boys High School deputy principal Lukas Oyugi led other teachers in inspecting the boxes and bags of the Form Two, Three and Four students at the entrance.

Some 165 pupils who sat the KCPE examination in Kisumu last year were recipients of the Equity Bank Wings To Fly scholarships.

Some 559 students in Kakamega, 483 from Busia and 179 from Bungoma counties are in the Wings To Fly group.

Vihiga County boss Wilber Ottichilo saw off 200 beneficiaries of the governor's scholarship fund.

Bomet County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said the number of teenagers becoming parents in the region is too high and called on schools and parents to reverse the trend.

Reported by Faith Nyamai, Leopold Obi Pius Maundu, Mishi Gongo, Steve Njuguna, Mercy Koskey, Derrick Luvega, Benson Ayienda, Sharon Achieng, Angeline Ochieng, Rushdie Oudia, Vitalis Kimutai and Shaban Makokha.