Child Labor, Early Pregnancies Lead to 430 Candidates Missing KCPE in Meru

Meru County has suffered severely in the just concluded Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams as 430 pupils who had been registered to sit the national test failed to because of mostly early pregnancies and child labor.

The 430 candidates had been registered successfully to sit the exams but did not show up with Igembe Central leading with a total of a worrying 115 candidates, who include 70 girls and 45 boys.

Igembe North in Meru suffered 85 candidates missing the national primary school tests, including 47 girls and 38 boys.

Imenti Central also in Meru County had 10 absentees in the just-concluded KCPE exams making the County one of the most affected by examination candidature drop outs.

Meru’s Education Troubles

Igembe constituency in Meru is inhibited by farmers who are fully into the farming of miraa which is quite popular and attracts children from a very young age.

It is in this miraa fields and business that young girls are exposed to sexual relations while some of them are raped in the fields. The boys are able to earn up to 1000 shillings a day which lures them off classes.

Educationists are alarmed by the numbers of dropouts in Meru schools are hence calling for action to be taken against parents who fail to be responsible for the education of their children.

The 430 KCPE candidates have now lost their chance to join secondary schools which means the county will have to deal with 430 under-ages who can neither go to secondary schools or receive an Identification card (ID)

The 430 drop-outs only other hope is to repeat class 8 and register for the 2020 KCPE exams.

“We will not tolerate a situation where children are the ones working in the miraa trade and I have given strict instructions to administrators, including chiefs, to make sure parents of children seen loitering around are arrested,” Eastern Regional Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru warned the parents.

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