KCSE 2021: Majority Of Candidates To Join TVET Institutions As 145,145 Candidates Qualify For University Placement

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr, 24- The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has already kicked off the exercise of placing the 826,807 candidates that sat the 2021 Kenya Certificate of  Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in various higher learning institutions.

During the release of the exam results, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha said that the number of candidates with minimum university entry qualification of Grade C+ and above rose to 145,145 (17.49 per cent) in the year 2021 KCSE Examination compared to 143,140 (19.03 per cent) in 2020.

The percentage of candidates with a mean Grade of C+ and above has declined from 19.03 to 17.49 per cent.

Meanwhile,the number of candidates with a minimum TVET Diploma courses qualification of grade C- and above in 2021 was 325,896 (39.27 per cent).

“We, therefore, need to invest more in TVET institutions where the bulk of our KCSE Examination graduands will study,” said Magoha.

Traditionally TVET institutions have recorded a low intake despite scores of learners being placed across various institutions nationwide.

Last week, during the annual secondary school heads annual conference in Mombasa, president Uhuru Kenyatta decried the lack of adequate skilled personnel in fields such as shipbuilding, woodwork, and even plumbing saying that it was time candidates were encouraged careers outdid the ‘white-collar jobs’ category.

Kenyatta said that there was no shame in working in a field that requires one to constantly ‘use their hands’ saying the jobs were very lucrative and in demand.

A total of 826,807 candidates sat the examination in the 2021 KCSE Examination compared to 747,161 candidates in 2020.

This represented an increase of 79,646 candidates (10.66 per cent).

Of the 826,807 candidates who sat the 2021 KCSE Examination, 421,318 were male while 405,489 were female, representing 50.96 per cent and 49.04 per cent of the total candidature respectively.

Eighteen counties had more female than male candidates in the 2021 KCSE examination compared to 15 counties in 2020.

The 18 counties were: Taita Taveta, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Meru, Elgeyo Marakwet, 29 Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Laikipia and Kisumu.