Teachers are begging for an extension to the deadline for registering with Nemis.

Teachers are begging for an extension to the deadline for registering with Nemis.

In the National Education Management Information System (Nemis), teacher unions are requesting that the Ministry of Education postpone the deadline for enrolling students in primary schools.

At midnight on Easter Monday, the registration period in the web-based data management system came to a close. Heads of educational institutions, according to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha), were having network issues that prevented data from being entered into the Nemis platform.

Fuad Ali, the national chairman of Kepsha, stated that the request for a few days’ extension of the deadline was made because the majority of heads of institutions have been unable to complete the forms in the portal to register learners under Nemis for the past two weeks.

To address the technical difficulties encountered by head teachers and expedite the registration of learners, he urged an immediate upgrade of the Nemis system.

Mr. Ali informed Reporters on Tuesday that “Registration of learners under Nemis will enable the Ministry of Education to tabulate capitation funds for individual schools when they reopen for the second term on February 28, 2025. Heads of institutions have been working day and night to register learners as required by the ministry, but many have not succeeded.”

The Ministry of Education launched Nemis on July 31, 2017, with 600 schools participating in a pilot program before its complete rollout in January 2018.

According to the Ministry of Education, as of 2024, there were over 10.4 million students enrolled in both public and private primary schools nationwide.

A head teacher gets a code via email to register students, which they use to log into the portal and enter the necessary information.
However, there have been grievances concerning delays in issuing the code required to enter the system or not issuing it at all.

Collins Oyuu, the secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), backed the request for an extension, claiming it would benefit students who are at risk of being excluded from the system.

Mr. Oyuu stated, “The deadline should be extended to allow all students or heads of institutions to be on-boarded if there are problems that are preventing them from successfully obtaining the details of learners.”

In order to facilitate the enrollment of all students, which is necessary for efficient planning and financing, he urged the Ministry of Education to heed the plea from heads of institutions.

“It is not in anyone’s interest to exclude any learner from enrollment,” he stated.

Mr. Oyuu stressed in Bomet County that every kid has the right to an education and government financial assistance.

“Given the network issues we’ve had in recent weeks, we are humbly requesting the ministry to give teachers more time to collect students’ information,” he continued.

Funds for capitation

Only students who are enrolled in the Nemis portal and not just listed in a school’s physical register are eligible for capitation funds from the Ministry of Education.

Knut’s first national chairman, Malel Langat, stated, “For instance, if a school has 800 pupils and only 200 are enrolled on Nemis, the ministry will not recognize the other 600 even if they are physically in school and listed in the school’s hard copy register.”

The absence of birth records, which school heads have stated has been a problem for many years, has been a significant barrier to enrolling pupils in grades 1–3.

“Frequently, learners who are in the custody of guardians, notably their grandparents, do not have birth certificates. In Bomet County, a head teacher stated, “The government must address this serious issue. These young children need assistance in obtaining essential registration papers.”

In order for the student to receive an exam evaluation number, a birth certificate is necessary. The Unique Personal Identifier (UPI), which learners use throughout their educational experience, is then given to each student by Nemis. In addition to a student’s birthplace, the system also keeps track of their parents’ information, the schools they attended, and their academic achievements.

The Nemis also employs the Nemis registration data to give textbooks to schools. Recently, Julius Ogambo, the secretary of the Education Cabinet, highlighted the significance of Nemis in school administration.

“Nemis plays a crucial role in the administration of educational institutions, particularly in deciding government funding,” Mr. Ogambo said during a recent trip to the Konoin and Sotik constituencies in Bomet County.