Split among MPs on school ranking
What you need to know:
- Ministry says order will stay.
- Those in support say teachers place emphasis on trying to please the national examiner.
A bid to reintroduce schools ranking has divided the National Assembly.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa wants the Ministry of Education compelled to rank 2014 national examination candidates, schools and counties.
Mr Wamalwa said scrapping ranking encouraged mediocrity in schools.
“It is important to have a ranking system recognised and appreciated by all. Since ranking was abolished, I have heard a number of heads in my constituency say they were not going to work hard because their performance would not be known,” Dr Wamalwa said.
Those in support of ranking said the ban had fuelled rumours on how schools performed.
They also said the decision was arrived at without involving others in the education sector.
Kipkelion East MP Joseph Limo said the ban had created confusion.
“We want order in the education sector. Ranking has been with us for a long time,” he said.
Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi also came under criticism.
Magarini MP Harrison Gombe said the Prof Kaimenyi relied on outdated reports that did not consider current circumstances.
“There will be no point of sitting for examinations if we can’t rank performance,” he said.
OTHER AREAS
Those in support of the ministry said assessing students should not be concentrated on national tests alone.
Ugenya MP David Ochieng said other areas like sports were equally important.
“Let us stop politicising education. It is a fact that some leaders want to be associated with high performing schools. The country has been concentrating on academic results more than the process,” he said.
He added that teachers were focusing more on impressing the national examiner than imparting all-round knowledge on students.
They called on the government to ensure all schools had enough learning materials and teachers before ranking was reintroduced.
Marakwet East MP David Kangogo said it was not fair to compare poor schools with better equipped ones.
“Before we talk about ranking, we must consider the status of schools. We cannot rank schools whose facilities are not the same. Ranking also encouraged malpractices because schools used it as a marketing strategy,” he said.
When he released the 2014 Form Four results last week Prof Kaimenyi reiterated that there will be no going back to ranking.
