The government is considering extending the Grade 10 placement reporting deadline to accommodate learners who have yet to report to their assigned senior schools, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has said. While the current deadline remains January 16, consultations are underway to allow additional time for latecomers, even as the transition continues to register steady progress.
About 400,000 of the 1.1 million students placed have reported, with Cluster One schools seeing a high turnout of about 90 per cent.
Speaking during a monitoring exercise at Alliance Boys’ High School, PS Bitok expressed satisfaction with the nationwide shift from junior to senior school, noting that field officers have been deployed to support parents and learners through admissions. He urged schools and education officers to utilise weekends to admit students, underscoring the government’s expectation of a 100 per cent transition rate.
Bitok emphasised that capacity is not a constraint, with 1.5 million available spaces in senior schools against 1.1 million learners. He acknowledged that while some students report early, others delay or arrive late, prompting the ministry to weigh an extension of the reporting timeline to ensure no learner is left behind.
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Bitok said a final decision on the extension will be communicated after consultations with relevant officials.
In the meantime, he encouraged learners to report immediately and reminded parents that the January 16 deadline should be strictly observed. He added that the revision window for placement changes remains open until January 16, as per the Ministry of Education’s guidance.
Data from MoE shows a sharp divide in reporting rates across the country. Cluster One schools are recording the highest turnout at 91 per cent. Cluster Two schools stand at about 50 per cent, while Cluster Four are lagging at less than 40 per cent.
By Masaki Enock
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