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<\/a><\/p>\n28 December 2011<\/p>\n
\neditorial<\/p>\n
The release of national examination results always marks an important moment in the education cycle.<\/p>\n
It offers a chance to assess mastery of the primary level curriculum and determines who progresses to secondary school.<\/p>\n
So, it was, with Wednesday’s release of this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination results. In general terms, the performance was far better than it has been in the past two years.<\/p>\n
The top two candidates scored 442 marks, compared to 434 and 438 in 2010 and 2009 respectively.<\/p>\n
For good measure, the two were a boy and a girl — Martin Irungu Waiharo of Moi Educational Centre and Christine Muthoni Kagiri of Tender Care Academy, both in Nairobi, demonstrating gender balance, but unfortunately, regional imbalances too.<\/p>\n
Secondly, the number of candidates who scored more than 400 marks rose significantly to 5,806 compared to 2,723 last year.<\/p>\n
These two indicators illustrate good mastery of the curriculum and therefore, positive learning outcomes.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, some perennial challenges persisted. One, there were marked disparities between regions.<\/p>\n
The worst-performing counties were from one region — Kilifi, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Tana River — all in Coast.<\/p>\n
Alarmed by this regional imbalance, Education Minister Sam Ongeri promised to visit the counties to inspect the learning processes.<\/p>\n
Fair enough, but such ad hoc visits do not tackle the problem. A more strategic approach should involve discussions with parents, teachers, political and religious leaders to get to the bottom of the problem.<\/p>\n
Cycle of poverty<\/strong><\/p>\nInequalities in performance by regions easily translate into imbalances in access to training, jobs and business opportunities, and thus undermine upward social mobility.<\/p>\n
Such inequalities perpetuate a cycle of poverty and exclusion, which might spur social unrest and despondency.<\/p>\n
Inasmuch as performance was better this year, more than half of the candidates scored less than 250 out of 500 marks. Such candidates are technically locked out of secondary education.<\/p>\n
The question is: What do we do with thousands of 14-year-olds who cannot proceed with education?<\/p>\n
The obvious choice is for them to join youth polytechnics, but most of these institutions are now moribund. Expecting the children to join the informal sector is also not feasible.<\/p>\n
By and large, cheating was minimal this year, standing at just 1.5 per cent of the 22,000-plus centres.<\/p>\n
But what was disturbing was that headteachers, teachers, supervisors, and in one case, a district education officer, colluded to cheat.<\/p>\n
Whatever tough measures are put in place will not succeed in ending cheating until the moral dimensions are addressed.<\/p>\n
The results come at a time when the education sector is poised for major changes that seek to alter the architecture, school calendar and curriculum.<\/p>\n
It is critical that the government provides a platform for serious discussions of the proposals to ensure that whatever changes are implemented reflect the aspirations of the people and realities of the day.<\/p>\n
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