According to the Government’s released list of full scholarship beneficiaries, 45,000 candidates who sat for the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination have missed out on the full scholarships.
The scholarship targets learners from vulnerable and poor backgrounds which can hinder their academic achievements. 9,000 learners from 110 sub-counties and 15 urban centers are going to reap the fruits of the Elimu Scholarship Program.
Out of all the applicants, just 4,000 of them were received to the scholarship program that is only allowable for application for learners who attained 280 marks and above.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha shall is set to announce the beneficiaries of the program tomorrow at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Among those who shall be revealed tomorrow are applicants with merited cases under affirmative action. Applicants with lesser marks may have been received into the program for those living with special needs and disabilities, or are orphans or they come from communities that are vulnerable.
Among the applicants considered with special needs are those with physical, learning disabilities, autism, albinism, hearing, and visual impairments just to mention but a few.
If a candidate has parents living with disabilities, they are also considered.
Besides the above-mentioned candidates with disabilities, other candidates that are also considered include the following.
- Candidates with families affected by HIV and AIDS and other chronic diseases.
- Orphans
- Vulnerable children
- Candidates from vulnerable communities.
- Candidates suffering from neglect, abuse, and having no support to continue with their education.
- Candidates from families suffering from extreme poverty and who have no resources to cater for their children.
Out of all the candidates who sat for their 2020 KCPE, 879,208 of them attained 200 marks and above. All these learners met the required criteria and hence qualified to compete for the scholarships.
The following are the privileges the beneficiaries of the scholarship will get.
- Sh. 500 pocket money each term
- School uniforms
- Learning materials and personal effects for the whole secondary school period.
- Transport is also provided to and from school during school opening and mid-term breaks.
- Full school fees for the entire period of secondary school education in the public secondary school.
The Elimu Scholarship program is part of the Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP) that the government is implementing through the Ministry of Education.
The purpose of SEQIP is to boost the retention of learners in upper primary school and transition to secondary school for the learners who come from poor and vulnerable environments.
The Ministry of Education is partnering with the Equity Group Foundation (EGF) as the Partner Agency to administer and support the program’s implementation.