NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 29- The Ministry of Education says candidates aged 12 and below increased in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) to 2.74 percent, from 2.21 percent in 2020.
In 2021 KCPE, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha said there were 33, 627 pupils aged 12 years and below, compared to 26, 378 in 2020.
The counties which had the highest entry for candidates who were 12 years and below in the 2021 KCPE examination were: Baringo (1,302: 7.09%), Bomet (1,932; 6.51%), Kericho (1,846: 6.24%), West Pokot (947; 5.98%) and Nyamira (1,111; 5.90%). These counties, except Nyamira, recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE examination.
The highest number of candidates 551,920; (45.03%) were in the appropriate age bracket of 13-14 years, a trend which has been replicated in the last five years, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha said.
The counties which had the highest entry of candidates who were 19 years and above were Turkana (2,755; 16.76%), Garissa (1,484; 14.44%), Kilifi (3,304; 8.41%), Kwale (1,940;8.35%) and Mandera (386: 6.05%). These counties, except Mandera, recorded a similar trend in the 2020 KCPE examination.
A total of 1,214,031 candidates who sat the examination in 28,313 centres across the country will receive their results today and will thus be legible for admission to secondary schools.
Of these candidates, 610,384 (50.28%) were boys and 603,647 (49.72%) girls.
In the 2020 KCPE, 1,179,192 candidates sat the examination.
The candidature increased by 34,839 (2.95%) in 2021 when compared to 2020. Male and female candidates increased by 19,934 (3.27%) and 14,905 (2.47%) respectively.
During the year 2021 KCPE examination, 12 counties registered more female than male candidates: Mombasa, Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu and Siaya.
In 2020, twenty counties, including the 12 counties mentioned above, registered more female than male candidates.
The number of candidates who were absent decreased from 12,424 (1.04%) in 2020 to 11,523 (0.94%) in the 2021 KCPE examination.
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