How schools shared top 15 KCSE slots

Kabarak High School students during a thanksgiving service at the Kabarak Community Chapel after the release of the 2014 KCSE results. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH |

What you need to know:

  • Nationally, 274,000 students scored C- and below, meaning that they do not qualify to join universities.
  • Top education official says the placement of candidates in colleges and other institutions will start immediately.

Kabarak High School recorded the best mean score in last year’s Form Four examinations, according to a review of the results released on Tuesday.

The school had a mean score of 11.357 and was closely followed by Kapsabet High School, also in the Rift Valley, which had a mean score of 11.125.

Maseno School in Kisumu County had the third best mean score nationally — 10.935 — and was closely followed by Alliance High School with a mean score of 10.853.

Earlier reports had indicated that Alliance appeared to have the best results, followed by Maranda in Siaya County. However, reports emerging on Wednesday gave a different and truer picture.

Kabarak had the highest number of candidates with grade A, numbering 134, and was followed by Alliance with 123 and Maranda with 120.

However, in calculating the mean score, the two schools had some candidates with between grades C+ and C- that weighed down their overall mean score.

An analysis of the results indicated that Kapsabet Boys in Nandi County had 94 A, 63 A-, 76 B+, 27 B and 4 B-, giving it a mean score of 11.254.

Maseno School had 83 candidates with A, 94 A-, 47 B+, 17 B and six with B-, giving the school a mean score of 10.9.

Other schools that emerged among top performers nationally were Nairobi School, with a mean score of 10.853, Asumbi Girls in Homa Bay County with 10.759, Starehe Boys Centre (10.637), Utumishi Academy (10.58) and Rang’ala Girls in Siaya County with a mean score of 10.476.

Mang’u High School had a mean score of 10.466 while Maranda had 10.45.

Alliance, besides having 123 straight As also had the second highest number of candidates (348) after Maranda (480), followed by Nairobi School (316).

Releasing the results, Prof Kaimenyi noted that there was significant improvement in the performance, with those candidates obtaining grade A rising to 3,073, up from 2, 722 in 2013.

Overall, there were 149,717 candidates who scored grades C+ and above, which is the minimum university entry point. Among the qualifiers were 88,299 males and 61,418 females, constituting a ratio of 59: 41.

Nationally, some 273,728 students scored C minus and below, meaning that they did not qualify for university admission.

However, many of them will have the opportunity to pursue vocational training.

REVAMPED CENTRES

While releasing last year’s KCSE exam results at Mitihani House in Nairobi on Tuesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said that the government had revamped technical and vocational education training centres to attract those who will not be admitted to universities.

He told parents and students that there were many paths that candidates who hold various qualifications could follow to attain higher post-secondary education, including enrolment for craft courses in business and technical training.

“There is even hope for those who attained an overall grade of E as they can enrol for certificate in business, or national vocational certificate in Education and training courses, which are now being offered in youth polytechnics,” said Prof Kaimenyi.

The ministry of Education, working with MPs, are building 60 TVET institutions in each constituency that lacks one, in additional to the existing 78.

Science and Technology Principal Secretary Collete Suda said that immediately the results are released, the Kenya University, Central Colleges Placement Service will begin placing students in technical schools.

Additional reporting by Maryanne Gicobi