10 Sep 2014

Registration for orientation and reception of pupils readying for standard one is on-going in all government primary schools.

Ministry of Education and Skills Development principal public relations officer, Mr Silas Sehularo said in response to a questionnaire that the orientation programme is meant to assist children to settle in school and start studying how to learn and enjoy learning in a fun and enjoyable manner. 

Currently, orientation is done in all primary schools that are not offering reception programme that was introduced this year in 115 schools out of 756 primary schools countrywide.

Mr Sehularo said orientation is meant to improve learner’s school readiness with a view to address equal access to and retention in primary education through a comprehensive orientation. “It is an orientation programme not a pre-school programme,” he added.

Orientation takes six weeks from mid-year October to the end of third term in November and registration is done at schools that children intend to enroll in for their Standard One in the following year.

However, he said schools that offer reception classes do not offer Standard One orientation and that the orientation programme will gradually be phased out as more schools commence the reception class programme.

Mr Sehularo said parents are encouraged to register children from June to October of every year before the programme starts with necessary information for the benefit of the children.

“Minimum age for orientation is five and a half years. The minimum age for standard one is six-years. This therefore allows a child to start standard one at five and half years provided the child turns six years by June of the year of commencing standard one,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Mr Sehularo said the reception pilot programme that started in January 2014 is expected to be gradually rolled out to all schools up to 2018, thereby phasing out Standard One orientation programme. 

Furthermore, he said the reception programme has so far attracted 4029 pupils and it runs for a year and is conducted during the school calendar period with prescribed short breaks. On daily basis sessions are conducted on half day basis.

Mr Sehularo said registration is done in schools of choice in those selected schools that have been identified to be ready for the programme and registration is done from June to November of every year.

“Qualifying children are required to be four and half years at the time of registration turning five years by end of June of the admission year,” he said. ENDS