It is now clear that the honest have been getting a raw deal in the national examinations if last year’s KCSE results are anything to go by. Nationally those with A grades dropped from 2,685 in 2015 to just 141 in 2016.Those with C+ grade and above were 88,929 in 2016 down from 169,492 the previous year. How could the new Cabinet Secretary deliver such contrasting results?
It is common knowledge that some schools, parents and candidates would buy KCSE exam papers from organized exam cheating cartels. With impunity, they would even take advantage of the modern technology to circulate the exam to the four corners of the republic. What most of us did not know, however, is the extent of this vice.
Then almost unexpectedly came in Fred Matiang’i. He spinned hurricane-like reforms that saw the examination cheating machinery disintegrate in less than a year. He sent heads rolling at KNEC headquarters: their nerve centre. Head teachers were to be culpable for exam leaks at their centers. Schools were ordered to close early and a fresh set of exam papers were set and stored in shipping containers under surveillance cameras. He had almost sealed all the loopholes.
The cartel dealing with the exam leakages and the candidates could not take this “disaster” lying down. In panic and anger they unleashed the biggest wave of unrest ever to hit our schools like a tsunami. The candidates could not understand how school administrations were unable to facilitate leakage of exams. They could not believe a single man could mobilize so much energy as to completely disorient them.
Having failed to derail Matiang’i from implementing the radical changes they sat the KCSE exam in disarray but still with some hope that something could still be possible in the end. Then, finally with precision Matiang’i followed with the same energy to the marking and moderating centers and here he delivered the final crashing blow to their efforts in trying to manipulate results.
When the dust settled, the KCSE 2016 results were unveiled. Schools that traditionally had their mean score always at 11.0 plus had petered to a single digit mean score far below us. Our schools mean score however remained more or less where it has been oscillating. It stood at 7.6 (B-) and performance index of 54.8. This mean score of 7.6 however in reality was well above the normal in many ways. For the first time in the history of the seminary we managed to take the highest number to public universities. Forty two out of fifty five candidates got admission to universities as government sponsored students. This is 76% of the class. For all the past years we have been having less 27% get government sponsorship.
More important these young men are now admitted to take prime career courses.
As we congratulate the 2016 class for the fine performance, I call upon the current candidate class to work well knowing that honesty is the way into the future. I salute the teachers and the administration not only for the good results in 2016 but also for proving that all along QAS has been better than depicted. Now it is time to redouble our efforts. Long live Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. You have been a blessing to our children.
Dean of Studies
Ms. Maryanne Karanja
