The 2017 KCPE results are out. In a truly
Kenyan way God and prayers, hard work and focus were invoked with profusion to
explain why 9,846 pupils scored above the magic 400 out the maximum 500 marks.
Some 2,360 children scored below 100 marks
will not be attributing their scores to a higher power or indebted to the love
and support from their teachers and family. However, this is significant
improvement compared to 10,000 candidates who scored below the 100 mark in
2013.
As a proportion of total enrollment, the
number of pupils who scored above 400 marks in 2017 KCPE increased by a
whooping 82 percent compared to 2016. This is an unprecedented improvement between
any successive years. Moreover, the proportion of candidates who scored 400
marks is the highest in the recent history of KCPE. There is reason for some
elation across the land.
But the overall performance across the
country demonstrates persistent and shameful inequality. Students in private,
public boarding and urban schools still score higher grades than their
counterparts in public day and rural schools. For example, the top 20 students in Nairobi
whose mean score is 434 are drawn from just 10 elite private schools in
Nairobi.
A cursory analysis of top 200 candidates
reveals that about 52 percent of them are from primary schools located in
Nairobi. About 82 percent of the top 200 students are from schools in just eight
counties; Nairobi, Kakamega, Kiambu, Laikipia, Nakuru, Kajiado Kericho and Embu.
Uneven educational outcomes and inequitable distribution of education resources
has been persistent.
Going forward two things are worth thinking
about. First, as we transition from a highly selective secondary school
placement to 100 percent transition from primary to high school. We must define
and pay attention to critical grade progression milestones. Primary schools
must lay a universal and equitable foundation for numeracy and literacy for all
our children.
Second, investing in free day secondary
education is a chance for us to eliminate the colonial bias that continues to favor
elite public boarding secondary schools, which are now the preserve of
middle-income families who can afford to send their children to private primary
schools.
More importantly, to eliminate the
staggering inequality in education outcomes at the county and sub-county levels
we should transfer some responsibility for education, especially infrastructure
and learning resources, to the counties. County governments are in the best
position to prioritize investments in education, including equitable posting of
teachers.
The urban, boarding and private school
advantage must be eliminated totally. We have created a system where education
excellence is largely the privilege of girls and boys born to families that
live in urban areas and children whose parents can pay tuition in private
schools or public boarding schools. High quality education must be the birthright
of every Kenyan child regardless of who their parents are or where they live.
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