CLOSE to 200,000 candidates who sat last year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations will miss form one places.

Education minister Mutula Kilonzo yesterday launched the form one selection at former Kenya Institute of Education, now Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.

Some 628,051 out of the 811,930 candidates who sat the examinations will join secondary schools. The government's move to elevate 60 schools to national level has seen form one slots increase from 4,517 in 2011 to 16,125.

Currently, there are 78 national schools with plans to upgrade 27 more next year. Merit was used to apportion form one slots in national schools.

According to the new criteria two top boys and girls from each district will join a national school irrespective of whether they sat their exams in private or public schools. This means 1,148 candidates will join national schools.

The top 2012 KCPE candidate scored 430 out of the possible 500, but this formula means that there is no clear cut-off point for one to join a national school.

The remaining national schools slots will use a district quota formula which is equal to the number of candidates by gender multiplied by the vacancies in the school divided by the national candidature for the gender.

He said: " The formula ensures equity by apportioning the places between private and public schools." Some 389,299 candidates will join district schools. This increase is largely attributed to Constituency Development Funds.

Mutula said he has requested Sh7 billion to built more classrooms. After the national schools, selection for county schools will take place on February 7 and 8 while district ones will be carried out on 11. Education PS George Godia form ones are expected to report to school between February 18 to 25.