Hundreds of parents in Embu County have called on the Ministry of Education to instruct secondary school Principals to release withheld KCSE certificates to enable Form 4 leavers to enroll in higher education and seek employment opportunities.
The 2022 Form 4 leavers, their parents and guardians said that most of them have been suffering from mental issues, with some exhibiting signs of stress and depression because they feel stuck.
A section of the leavers lamented that they fell short of joining the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) recruitment held recently.
“I attained a good grade and would have attended the KDF recruitment drive here in Embu but my certificate is still being held at my former school,” said a leaver who sought anonymity.
Her parent, Nicholas Njeru, noted that they have fee arrears amounting to Ksh5,000 at St. Mary’s Girls Kiang’ima which has warranted the retention of her certificate. He termed the practice as punishment to innocent children.
“I have tried my best to assure the concerned Principal that I will clear the arrears even in installments but she decided to retain the certificate and this has left my daughter in despair,” he said.
Hundreds of other leavers cannot access their certificates due to failure to pay for books they lost despite the deduction of monies in school fees as security for loss of property.
“I lost books worth Ksh2,000 and for that reason, my certificates have been retained and now I cannot enroll for courses I am qualified for,” said Natasha Nyagah who attained a C plus in her exams.
This takes place even after the government, a while back, ordered Principals to release all certificates retained due to unpaid fees and other levies. However, most Principals in Embu County seem to have chosen to defy the order.
By Robert Nyagah
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
