School ranking to look at talent

Success in primary and secondary education will no longer be judged on the basis of academic performance alone, the Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday.

Schools will soon be ranked on how well they help students tap their talent and enhance their character in addition to academic excellence in primary and secondary education examinations, according to acting Education permanent secretary George Godia.

“Next year when we announce results, we are not going to focus on academic performance alone. We are not going to judge schools by marks only so stop cramming and regurgitating information. We will judge schools and candidates in terms of character development, good conduct and excellence in talent. This is what life is all about,” said Prof Godia.

This, he said, would rid the education system of the unhealthy competition for top scores in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, with some candidates even committing suicide.

Stop harassment

A team led by acting Education Secretary Enos Oyaya was refining the criteria, Prof Godia told teachers attending the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KSSHA) annual conference in Mombasa.

Prof Godia said the new regulation would also minimise cases of harassment of teachers by parents whenever their schools post poor results in the examinations.

“Life is not about making students cram to the extent of committing suicide. We have stressed children and heads have been harassed because results are not good.”

He urged teachers to help their students grow academically, socially, physically and harness their creativity.

“Every child has been born with a desire to succeed and your job as educators is to tap and train them to realise that potential,” he said.

At the same time, the Kenya National Examinations Council boss Paul Wasanga said only candidates who had uploaded their pictures online would be allowed to sit the tests.

“Let the candidates know that they will not be allowed to sit for the national examinations if they did not upload their pictures,” he said.

He said the council had withheld KCSE examination results for 125 students for failing to provide vital information.

“We want these details because we want to flush out bogus students who have sat for the KCSE,” he said.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, who officially opened the conference, urged teachers to shun tribalism.

“As I stand here before you, I cannot know who is Luo, Luhya, Mijikenda or Kamba. But when you go out there for a cup of tea, you fall back into your tribal cocoons. I moan and groan for my country. At one time it’s my tribe to benefit, the other time it’s the other tribe. Let’s make a resolve to discard this,” he said.

He asked teachers to support his presidential bid, saying he would improve their terms of service.

Mr Musyoka further pledged to strengthen early childhood education, which, he said, had been neglected over the years.

Earlier, KSSHA chairman Cleophas Tirop said teachers would not vote for presidential candidates without sound policies for teachers and the education sector.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his two deputies Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi, Ms Martha Karua and Prof James ole Kiyiapi are also lined up to address the teachers.