2017 KCPE Candidates celebrating their results. Most of them who performed well are girls. Boys were under average. [Photo|the-star.co.ke]
Overemphasis on the education of the girl child, Social cultural and traditional pressures have negatively impacted on the boy child and the effects are reflected in the dismal performance of boys in national examinations.
Based on the analysis of the 2017 KCPE results best performers are girls and the boy child is lagging behind in almost all the schools across the Country.
According to Collins Muriuki 14-year-old student from Wankan Education Centre in Ruiru who managed to score 393 points in last year’s KCPE, parents are to blame for the low self-esteem on the boy child as most of the time parents are concerned about the safety and well-being of their girls.
“There is too much expectation from the boy child from all circles yet we are merely children ourselves and are therefore overwhelmed by the demands placed on us,” lamented Muriuki.
"Why should my mother, for example, ask me to go out in the wee hours of the night to check why the dog is barking, if it’s not safe for my sister what makes her imagine that is safe for me,” he added.
14-year-old Bradley Anjere from St Peters Academy Juja who scored 424 marks pointed out that over-focus on the girl child by the government and non-governmental organisations in terms of programmes and interventions to empower the girls have made the boys feel neglected and as a result affected their performance at school and other circles including in the institutions of higher learning.
He added that they are inducted into drugs and alcohol very early in life and this has led to increased criminal activities and illicit sex on young boys.