New Basic Education Bill Prohibits School Admission Tests

The Basic Education Bill, 2024 now prohibits public schools from administering admission tests. Most schools in Kenya require new students to do an admission test before being admitted. The Ministry of Education considers this a violation of the constitution, which indicates that every child has a right to free basic education.

Other than the admission test, the bill also introduces the following laws;

• No repeating: A school is not allowed to prevent learners from transitioning to the next level.
• No additional school charges: Public schools are not allowed to charge additional fees that are not approved by the Ministry of Education, cabinet secretary
• Heads of schools are not allowed to restrict students from being admitted because they lack some personal effects. This law is trying to address the issue of new students being denied admission because they have not bought all the required personal items.
• A public school cannot be converted to a private school. But a private school can be converted to a public school, subject to consultation with relevant stakeholders 

NOTE: As of publishing this post, The Basic Education Bill, 2024 is currently under the public participation stage.