Education CS Fred Matiang'i and KNEC CEO Prof George Magoha(Right) at past Function (photo/standardmedia.co.ke
Education CS Fred Matiang'i and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) have came under sharp criticism over mass failure of the 2017 KCSE lot.
Only slightly above 70,000 out of 652,000 registered candidates got the university entry grade of above C+ only about 11.5% of the total number of candidates.
Shockingly, the number of E's went high from 33,399 candidates in 2016 to 35,536 this year. This is the highest in recent times.
However the number of A's increased by a single individual from 141 in 2016 to 142.
A total of 28 counties did not register even a single A. This counties include, Baringo, Bomet, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Embu, Garissa, Isiolo, Kajiado Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Mandera, Meru, Marsabit, Narok, Nyandarua, Samburu, Taita, TavetaTana, River, Tharaka Nithi, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot counties.
Only 19 counties managed to produced an A, Kiambu leading the pack with 34As, followed by Siaya, Nakuru and Nairobi. Others counties with As include Uasin Gishu, Migori, Bungoma, Nyeri, Kisii, Mombasa, Kericho, Nandi, Vihiga, Murang’a, Kakamega, Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Nyamira.
According to the ministry of Education, each county has atleast 2national schools in which exemplary performance is expected.
Opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has ridiculed this dismal performance saying that free day secondary education, a key agenda in Jubilee manifesto wont be achieved due to a 90% fail rate.
“As the country commits resources to free learning and scales up enrolment, the whole purpose and value for money is lost when close to 90 per cent of those students eventually fail,” he said.