Kakamega — A total of 170 adult learners are sitting for their final Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams this year in Kakamega County.
According to Kenya News Agency, the County Director of Adult Learning and Continuing Education, the candidates consist of 63 females and 44 males. Adult learners from only seven out of the 12 sub-counties in Kakamega registered for the KCPE exams as private candidates.
Nyamweno explained that the absence of candidates in some sub-counties is due to the retirement of teachers in those areas. In addition to those sitting for the KCPE, 107 adult learners have registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE); among them are 51 males and 56 females. To address the low enrollment, the county is using community meetings organized by the Ministry of Interior and national government administration to inform the public about their adult education programs.
Nyamweno urged individuals who had dropped out of traditional schooling to consider joining the adult education program to obtain their KCPE and KCSE certificates. These credentials could help them join colleges or Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centers in the future. Despite Kakamega being one of the largest counties in Kenya with numerous TVET centers, many young people are opting for quick money through the bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) business rather than pursuing education, Nyamweno noted.
The county currently has 20 adult education centers fully managed by dedicated adult education teachers. Additionally, there are 95 other centers housed in faith-based institutions, which are managed by part-time teachers contracted on a casual basis. Due to a lack of adequate staffing, the department is also utilizing students from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology to train adult learners.
“We are waiting for direction from the government on how we will progress next year, as this is the last year adult learners will be sitting for KCPE exams,” Nyamweno added.