Kwania DEO imposes a one-month deadline for private schools to register students on EMIS

In a recent directive aimed at streamlining student data management across the district, the Kwania District Education Officer (DEO), Andrew Omunu, has issued a mandate.

The mandate demands that all private school owners must register their students with the Ministry of Education’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) within one month.

Speaking on Thursday during a meeting with members of the Kwania District Private School Owners Association at Good Foundation Junior Nursery and Primary School, Omunu emphasised that the government introduced EMIS to ensure accurate monitoring of learner numbers throughout the district.

“Uploading student information is crucial not only for effective planning,” Omunu noted, “but also to enable students to acquire National Identification Cards in the future.”

Omunu raised concerns about a troubling practice where some government schools have been allegedly registering students from private schools under their own institutions, effectively “stealing” identities.

He stressed that this undermines the integrity of data and affects both planning and resource allocation.

Supporting the initiative, Jaspher Ogwang Etik, Secretary for Education and Health for Inomo sub-county, emphasised the necessity that all learners—irrespective of attending private or government schools—be included within the EMIS database.

Ogwang acknowledged past issues where government schools frequently “poached” names from private institutions but welcomed the DEO’s firm stance that students must be registered at the schools they actually attend.

John Onyango, chairperson of the Kwania Private School Owners Association and Director of Good Foundation Junior, echoed these sentiments, pointing out challenges private schools have faced with the EMIS registration process.

He revealed that many private school students were being registered by government schools without permission, complicating efforts to maintain accurate records.

The one-month deadline, which took off immediately after the meeting, is set to enhance transparency and cooperation between private and government educational institutions, ultimately fostering improved educational planning and student welfare across Kwania district.

Private school owners are encouraged to comply promptly to ensure their students’ details are accurately captured in the national system.