KCPE candidates record best results of the last five
Education minister Mutula Kilonzo (right) presents last year’s KCPE results to Education permanent secretary George Godia at the KNEC headquarters on Monday. Photo/SALATON NJAU
What you need to know:
The results released by Education minister Mutula Kilonzo Monday, showed that the mean score of 250 marks was the best in the past five years.
It was also the first time that the average mark had crossed the 50 per cent mark over the period.
Performance in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam improved significantly last year with more than half of the candidates achieving more than 250 marks.
The results released by Education minister Mutula Kilonzo Monday, showed that the mean score of 250 marks (out of 500) was the best in the past five years. It was also the first time that the average mark had crossed the 50 per cent mark over the period.
“This improved performance implies that the decision we took to re-schedule examinations for candidates to recover the learning period they had lost during the teachers’ strike was a prudent decision,” said Mr Kilonzo while releasing the results at Mitihani House.
The third term started in earnest in October after a three-week national strike by teachers paralysed the education system and threw the education calendar into disarray.
The announcement of the results on Monday came a month later than the traditional date just after Christmas.
Mr Kilonzo’s decision to extend the school term by three weeks was met by sharp criticism especially from private schools who protested the higher operational costs they would incur.
Last year’s mean score was the highest in the last five years and the first time within the same period that the score has crossed the 50 per cent mark.
However, it was not possible to tell how well the students performed by subject — mathematics, English, Kiswahili, social studies and science — because the ministry broke from tradition by not giving the subjects’ mean scores.
This year, 416,900 candidates or 51.35 per cent of the 811,930 pupils who sat the 2012 examination surpassed the mean score as opposed to 48.26 per cent the previous year and 49.38 per cent the year before.
“It is also an indicator that children can perform well even without extra tuition whose ban is still in force and which has now been criminalised by the Basic Education Bill, 2012,” Mr Kilonzo said.
Three students — Joy Kathure from Meru County, Boniface Mwaura and Wachira Njomo (both from Kiambu County) — tied for the top spot with 430 marks, compared to 442 marks in 2011.
Kelvin Mwangangi (Machakos) and Dan Muthomi (Meru) scored 429 points each to complete the top five in results that saw gains in the fight against cheating.
Only 713 candidates cheated last year, the lowest number in a decade, compared to 7,974 the previous year. This reflected a drop of 91 per cent.
The number of counties where no cheating was detected increased to 19 (out of 47) compared to four counties in 2011 – Nyeri, Turkana, Laikipia and Busia.
The government attributed the improvement in the integrity of the examinations to the Kenya National Examinations Council Act 2012 which prescribed hefty penalties for abetters and culprits of fraud.
“The enactment of the Act set a positive paradigm shift especially in the area of examination malpractices,” said Education permanent secretary George Godia.
“The ministry continues to put in all efforts to stamp this vice out of our examination system.”
Those who abet examination fraud risk a jail term of five years and a Sh1 million fine.
Candidates also risk having their exams cancelled and being prohibited from “taking an examination for a period not exceeding three years immediately after the commission of the offence.”
Last year, the language subjects – English and Kiswahili — registered the most cases of cheating with fraud involving mathematics examination being recorded in only a few institutions.
According to the minister, 88 individuals - teachers and candidates - have already been arrested in connection with the crimes and have been charged in court.
This year’s ranking also marked a first with primary schools being ranked according to the best and worst in each county – a break from last year when ranking of counties was introduced.
On Monday, Mr Kilonzo will launch the admissions to secondary schools amid fears that admission to national schools would be heavily skewed in favour of public school candidates. Mr Kilonzo said the selection would be done strictly on merit and on the choice of schools by the candidates.
“It will also consider the proportionate sharing of available places between public and private candidates in a district and on the basis of a district’s candidature,” Mr Kilonzo said.
Correspondence seen by the Business Daily, however shows that the government wants only a fifth of the slots in the 78 national schools to be allocated to pupils who sat the 2012 examination in private primary schools.
