Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: GeeMail on December 31, 2014, 08:41:36 AM
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The professor is to be commended. Ranking destroys the fabric of true education and brings up the worst side of man, especially in a society as corrupt as Kenya. There are still other problems created by lack of ranking such as laziness among teachers and opaque student selection for form one. Here are some quotes from education specialists who think student ranking should not be done. In fact, the principles go beyond the issue of ranking but the spirit of competition inculcated in pupils right from nursery school. It is about the core of education itself.
“True education does not ignore the value of scientific knowledge or literary acquirements; but above information it values power; above power, goodness; above intellectual acquirements, character. The world does not so much need men of great intellect as of noble character. It needs men in whom ability is controlled by steadfast principle . . True education imparts this wisdom. It teaches the best use not only of one but of all our powers and acquirements. Thus it covers the whole circle of obligation—to ourselves, to the world, and to God . . At such a time as this, what is the trend of the education given? To what motive is appeal most often made? To self-seeking.
Much of the education given is a perversion of the name. In true education the selfish ambition, the greed for power, the disregard for the rights and needs of humanity, that are the curse of our world, find a counter-influence. God’s plan of life has a place for every human being. Each is to improve his talents to the utmost; and faithfulness in doing this, be the gifts few or many, entitles one to honor. In God’s plan there is no place for selfish rivalry. Those who measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12) . . But how widely different is much of the education now given! From the child’s earliest years it is an appeal to emulation and rivalry; it fosters selfishness, the root of all evil.
Thus is created strife for supremacy; and there is encouraged the system of ‘cramming,’ which in so many cases destroys health and unfits for usefulness. In many others, emulation leads to dishonesty; and by fostering ambition and discontent, it embitters the life and helps to fill the world with those restless, turbulent spirits that are a continual menace to society.”—E.G. White, Education, pp. 225-226.
“The true basis of credit is not to be comparing one with another to see if one secures better standing or more prizes than his neighbor, but to compare the actual standing of every student with the ideal which God intends he should gain in view of the capacities with which he was endowed and the opportunities God’s providence has given him.
This is a very different basis than simply the idea of personal ambition to excel another. It is very much easier for a teacher to impel one to earnest work by appealing to personal ambition, because it is a trait of human nature easily cultivated. So many teachers, as being the easier method to get work (as they say) out of students, appeal to them on the basis of their standing, as compared with another (2 Cor 10:12-13).
The true basis of credit is not to be comparing one with another to see if one secures better standing or more prizes than his neighbor, but to compare the actual standing of every student with the ideal which God intends he should gain in view of the capacities with which he was endowed and the opportunities God’s providence has given him.
But that trait of human nature needs no cultivation. It is the same old self. When the mind of Christ is brought into our plans of education, the purpose will not be to draw out and strengthen elements of self, but it will be, as in all other parts of the work, to empty one’s self, to take a humble position, and yet by that very means to attain to an exaltation impossible any other way.”—W.W. Prescott, General Conference Director of Education, February 23, 1893; 1893 General Conference Bulletin, pp. 357-358.
“And the test should not be, ‘Have you studied this?’ ‘Have you studied that?’ ‘Have you passed an examination, with certain percent in such subjects?’ ‘Have you a diploma in such a course?’ But, ‘What are you?’ That should be the constant test. The examination should be the application of God’s idea for the individual, to him personally.” —W.W. Prescott, General Conference Bulletin, 1897.
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Life is hard, brutal and competitive. it is especially harder if you're in poor third world country. That is the reality that need to be inculcated to kids from day one. This attempt to babysit kids by avoiding the reality will only kill one aspect of kenya that was actually working.
Kenya education system is known for it's quality. In a country that ranks anything btw 120-150 in nearly every indicator, when it comes to QUALITY of education, we rank top 40. We rank amongst developed countries. The Chinese, the South Asians, the Indians and name them are doing twice what our kids are doing..reading and studying till some of them literally drop.And that investment in education is paying big big time.
Right now in this era of KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY...you want to engage full gears in a BRUTAL EDUCATION SYSTEM...ultimately our kids will compete against the chinese and indians kids who are reading 15hrs every day..studying hard subjects like maths and sciences with zeal and ferocity...and now dominating all IVY leagues.
As for nonsense of rote learning and cramming..change the exams..to ensure it's more rigorous in testing the real intelligence..something like SAT or GRES.
Bottomline. Life is BRUTAL and COMPETITIVE. You cannot protect kids from reality. You have to prepare them to face the real world.
Ranking should be returned pronto..right from baby class to campus..kids should be competitively rank..in academic and non-academic work. Instead of dropping academic ranking..just introduce non-academic rank...examine the non-examinable like sports.
I wish life was easy..unfortunately it isn't.
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I second Pundito,
I have watched a cousin waste away because the mother rejected my advice that he rewinds class 8. The boy was sickly in his final year and he was headed for National school. He is awaiting his KCSE results and I don't expect nothing above a C+. This means private university or colleges and no bursary or scholarship. Given the harsh reality of our education system,another attempt at KCPE was the best option.
Whether you rank them or not, they will be absorbed into high school on merit first and universities thereafter on the same basis.
PS:Malcolm Gladwel in his Outliers suggests that the rice growing culture in Asia and India may have instilled diligence in classroom and may explain why the kids score better in maths and science. A kid putting in ten hours a day in classroom is no biggie there.He regrets that while the education standards are dropping in the West, they are rising in the east
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There is no magic to success in life except painful hardwork; We marvel at chinese infra but you just need to observe them keenly to notice they do not do anything really different except they put in more work hrs; they wake up 6 and work till 7; they work on weekends; Now poor african country like kenya has lazy work enviroment with 2 days off; 8-5 or 3pm and you wonder why our productivity is very low; we should ensure we are working twice as hard or smart as chinese,sotuh asians and indians if we are to make for huge lag in our development.
Instead of reducing work load in schools..i say double it. Prepare these kids for brutal life ahead. Prepare these kids for brutal competition of the few quality jobs. Prepare these kids for brutal business enviroment in Juakali.
Some of the luxuries that developed countries afford..we cannot.
I second Pundito,
I have watched a cousin waste away because the mother rejected my advice that he rewinds class 8. The boy was sickly in his final year and he was headed for National school. He is awaiting his KCSE results and I don't expect nothing above a C+. This means private university or colleges and no bursary or scholarship. Given the harsh reality of our education system,another attempt at KCPE was the best option.
Whether you rank them or not, they will be absorbed into high school on merit first and universities thereafter on the same basis.
PS:Malcolm Gladwel in his Outliers suggests that the rice growing culture in Asia and India may have instilled diligence in classroom and may explain why the kids score better in maths and science. A kid putting in ten hours a day in classroom is no biggie there.He regrets that while the education standards are dropping in the West, they are rising in the east
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You have to be very careful before you endorse haphazard changes effected in kenya... look:
Every time abrupt laws are passed in that rotten country, there is an ulterior motive to benefit a few just for the spur of the moment..before they are reverted to the old formula...by then, irreparable damage will have been done changing others' lives forever.... :(
A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Form One selection as fears emerged that the process could be manipulated following the Ministry of Education’s decision to withhold candidates’ merit list from the public. Consequently, stakeholders are worried that this has created an opportunity for some officials to deny deserving students Form One places so as to allocate the slots to their friends through the back door. The stakeholders, among them parents and a teachers’ union, yesterday expressed reservations and warned that the credibility of the selection process could be dented since candidates' performance was not made available for public scrutiny. Private schools have also vowed to fight the criteria to be used in admitting this year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education( KCPE) candidates to Form One. The Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) yesterday said the decision to discontinue ranking had "a sinister motive and is aimed at concealing a lot of injustices" for the children. "This will be the worst selection process because everything is being done under the table. Kenyans were not shown the merit list, the selection criteria is also not known and the ministry is bent on discriminating against some of the candidates," said KPSA Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndoro.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000146377&story_title=form-one-intake-puzzle-after-end-of-ranking-order
I agree with this assessment. When you take a look at the reasons given by the MoE, you'll find that they're totally bogus. I'd like any nipatean to give me any reason (besides those that I've called out as baseless.)
http://nipate.com/no-rankings-as-kaimenyi-releases-kcpe-results-t51208.html
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I agree with Pundito on this one. Life is one massive competition to survive. This non ranking kills every need to win in all concerned. The best example of that kind of legacy is the England football team. A typical sports day at my son's school comprises of kids playing in house teams made up of all years. From the wobbling barely out of nappies Reception kids (3/4 years old) to the pre teen year 6s, playing non descript games like hoola hoops, jumping over ropes and around cones through tunnels etc. At the end of the day, there are team results, it's hard to tell who won and who lost.
The same applies in their classrooms. They are sat on tables of 5, and if you are not a pushy parent checking where your child is and pushing them to move up tables, utajipata kamekwama with the idiots on one table receiving "an education that is within their abilities".
:D :D :D
By the time you realise that your kid is a thick one, it's too late they have flanked their GCSEs maisha kwisha...
Ow, also their work is not marked using red pens, as "they are too aggressive" and certainly to "Xs" to denote wrong answers.
Obviously there's no ranking so that the idiots are not humiliated (into working harder I suppose???)
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I have a lot to say about this. I will return. Suffice is to say, I support Kaimenyi to a large extent. There are some things he needs to do in addition to dropping ranking in order to get equity in education. Without these additional measures, his action becomes impulsive and ultimately wasteful.
That said, anybody can do the ranking. The results are publicly available and can be analysed and presented. Michelin sold tyres but are now more known for ranking hotels. Any public or private University can start ranking schools. Even a newspaper, Pub or NGO.
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Consequently, stakeholders are worried that this has created an opportunity for some officials to deny deserving students Form One places so as to allocate the slots to their friends through the back door.
Tragic as it may seem, herein lays the crux of the problem. Corruption in Kenya, again rearing its ugly head, now to the point of disenfranchising poor bright students of an opportunity of higher learning. You are right, any time there is a change in the law, there is always n ulterior motive….in the end, nothing good comes from it. Oh Kenya, I weep for you my mother’s land.
Ranking doesn’t destroy the fabric of true education, corruption and the lack of equal education opportunities for all students destroys the fabric of our education system. I agree with the concept of ranking because it fosters a competitive environment where kids know they have to pull their straps up to measure up. Ranking is now a problem because Kenya’s elite schools are no longer producing the top students, but instead a little unknown school in Kayole Eastland’s has been in the lead for the past recent years. Wow, did someone actually think this stuff up. Ranking weeds out the best students and it continues as the standard measure world over. They should not drop ranking of exam scores, but as pundit alluded to, include other means where non-ranking is acceptable.
I am however not sure increasing the workload is the solution here. As it seems kids already are overloaded with the work in schools. Instead they should increase focus on those subjects, math’s and science like the Asians tend to do. Noble character is not something taught in schools but the sum of all societal values instilled in a child. It starts with parents, then the community and the country. What kind of nonsense is this surely?
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The bottomline is that all schools should be brought to a level where they offer the same quality of education. How? By ensuring that they have the same basic facilities to undertake all the learning required under the syllabus. I know of schools where students see a test tube for the first time during exams.
How do we achieve that? By first assessing all schools and pumping cash in to those below par and henceforth equitably distributing funds to all of them. Kaimenyi can follow through by ending discrimination against students attending private and community schools. The subsidies paid per student should have no caveats barring non-government schools. Money should follow the student to any school he/ she chooses to attend.
In return, non government schools running a for profit basis should agree to a fee limit which should not exceed a percentage of the subsidy - the same way that government schools do.
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Is there any link btw facilities and equipment with school performance. I think a lot goes into producing good schools; facilities is one small part of it otherwise schools in turkana or west pokot would not be leading like they've done previously. For me it really down to teachers doing their part. A good teacher can produce great candidates sitting under the tree. There is no schools that can practically demonstrate everything including nuclear tech...so this test tube idea doesn't work.
We need ranking linked to teacher promotion and salary...any school producing poor grades should be somehow punished.
The bottomline is that all schools should be brought to a level where they offer the same quality of education. How? By ensuring that they have the same basic facilities to undertake all the learning required under the syllabus. I know of schools where students see a test tube for the first time during exams.
How do we achieve that? By first assessing all schools and pumping cash in to those below par and henceforth equitably distributing funds to all of them. Kaimenyi can follow through by ending discrimination against students attending private and community schools. The subsidies paid per student should have no caveats barring non-government schools. Money should follow the student to any school he/ she chooses to attend.
In return, non government schools running a for profit basis should agree to a fee limit which should not exceed a percentage of the subsidy - the same way that government schools do.
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Actually yes.
The reason teachers fight for government schools in Nairobi and Machakos is simple: A huge colonial bungalow at the rent price of mandazi. There you are housing and a good life.
Those schools in Kenya with high quality staff amenities have a long "waiting" list of potential teachers. They are spoilt for choice when it comes to getting new teachers.
Now those same teachers would not go to a school where the teaching facilities cause them headaches. They need to meet clean spacious classrooms which can allow learning top go on regardless of the weather. A decent library and easy access to every textbook and reference material they may need.
No teacher wants to teach suffering students. One of the major problems in our school in this day and age remains ... prepare to disbelieve!... WATER! Students have serious problems bathing and washing clothes. So you find those Moi favoured schools where these facilities are not only available but delivered with utmost efficiency, there are no "non performers". Kapsabet Girls is one such school. No matter how thick a student is, she will learn and pass exams. In places like Ukambani and Coast, students live in inhuman conditions due to poor facilities. Fix that and you have learning and teaching going on with alacrity
Extra curricular activities consume a lot of money but the benefits are immense. Unless you are Alliance which needs no advertising, a school needs a profile. Schools that perform well in sports and especially excel in individual games also "strangely" make a break through academically. So some of the schools I see around Limuru as I ascend to Nairobi can never be anything but factories. Who has ever followed a mass produced product to see how it performs out there?
What is required to build and equip laboratories is so little. I recently helped build a lab in a school near me. It cost less than 750K and it is way better than those built using CDF and government donations in their millions. So again, we are talking about mismanagement and corruption. School (Headteacher led) corruption has been ignored! We are looking the other way as principals ruin the future of our children!
Is there any link btw facilities and equipment with school performance. I think a lot goes into producing good schools; facilities is one small part of it otherwise schools in turkana or west pokot would not be leading like they've done previously. For me it really down to teachers doing their part. A good teacher can produce great candidates sitting under the tree. There is no schools that can practically demonstrate everything including nuclear tech...so this test tube idea doesn't work.
We need ranking linked to teacher promotion and salary...any school producing poor grades should be somehow punished.
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Omollo, am afraid you're suggesting throwing money or resources, something we WILL NEVER have in plenty. There are many ways we can improve performance without spending a dime.
I say FOCUS on those. Zero cost ways of improving education quality.
For me it's down to supervision of teachers including management by Gov. It shouldn't matter whether one is studying under a tree or not...if you have committed parents, teachers and students. Absentism both by teacher and student. Failure to complete sylabus in time. Most of the private primary schools that excel have very little resources compared to public ones..majority sit on half an acre of land...but committed school owners, teachers and parents...see private schools which are bootstrapping owners resources beat nearly all public schools.
In kenya whenever there is a problem..like schools or police...you just hear we want more resources..we want better housing...we want better cars...better salaries..while real common sensical solutions cost nothing.
We are already spending way too much on public education...150B on teachers salary..plus capitation for primary, high school and university student..costing more billions..leave alone school equipments and books..Laptops.
But are we getting value from those resources? Are teachers attending school regularly? Are teachers really teaching? Most teachers are teaching near their homes..there is no need to burden parents with housing.
Actually yes.
The reason teachers fight for government schools in Nairobi and Machakos is simple: A huge colonial bungalow at the rent price of mandazi. There you are housing and a good life.
Those schools in Kenya with high quality staff amenities have a long "waiting" list of potential teachers. They are spoilt for choice when it comes to getting new teachers.
Now those same teachers would not go to a school where the teaching facilities cause them headaches. They need to meet clean spacious classrooms which can allow learning top go on regardless of the weather. A decent library and easy access to every textbook and reference material they may need.
No teacher wants to teach suffering students. One of the major problems in our school in this day and age remains ... prepare to disbelieve!... WATER! Students have serious problems bathing and washing clothes. So you find those Moi favoured schools where these facilities are not only available but delivered with utmost efficiency, there are no "non performers". Kapsabet Girls is one such school. No matter how thick a student is, she will learn and pass exams. In places like Ukambani and Coast, students live in inhuman conditions due to poor facilities. Fix that and you have learning and teaching going on with alacrity
Extra curricular activities consume a lot of money but the benefits are immense. Unless you are Alliance which needs no advertising, a school needs a profile. Schools that perform well in sports and especially excel in individual games also "strangely" make a break through academically. So some of the schools I see around Limuru as I ascend to Nairobi can never be anything but factories. Who has ever followed a mass produced product to see how it performs out there?
What is required to build and equip laboratories is so little. I recently helped build a lab in a school near me. It cost less than 750K and it is way better than those built using CDF and government donations in their millions. So again, we are talking about mismanagement and corruption. School (Headteacher led) corruption has been ignored! We are looking the other way as principals ruin the future of our children!
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There is a limit to how far the no-cost reforms you suggest can go. It's not that they have never been tried before. They have indeed. The problem is that these type of reforms achieve most where everything else in place except performance by teachers and students.
Pundit, it does not matter whether a student attends a chemistry class every day and even uses vacation time to "study". If this guy has never seen a test tube before exams, he is cooked. In principal I have nothing against learning under a tree. I did love to hold those lessons outside the classroom. However some parts of Kenya - indeed most places in Kenya - cannot support learning under a tree.
Let's take your home area - Sotik. Mogogosiek recorded rain daily in one year - is it 1980 or 84 - I don't know. That means no classes could be held in that area for the entire duration of school for that year! Areas like NEP and Tana need expensive classrooms to be at par with those of other areas. The classrooms must be built to cool the environment inside. Otherwise the blowing sand, heat, etc is just not conducive to learning. I know that for years learning had to stop at 12 noon in all schools in NEP due to the high temperatures.
So you cannot escape spending if you need to stop kids running from one area to those perceived to be "better"!
Lastly, I think teachers in Kenya deserve a break. No other country on earth has a system that dumps parenthood on teachers without paying them for rendering that service like Kenya does! Boarding schools are now taking in younger and younger kids. All Pundit needs to do is get a baby, at 2 he can take him to boarding school and visit when he can. or wait until 6 (but everybody knows it is now 4) take him to primary school - with boarding. The kid can come home for a week before returning for coaching (which returned after Mutula died). after standard eight, he will go to high school and from there to university. All Pundit needs is to pay.
Omollo, am afraid you're suggesting throwing money or resources, something we WILL NEVER have in plenty. There are many ways we can improve performance without spending a dime.
I say FOCUS on those. Zero cost ways of improving education quality.
For me it's down to supervision of teachers including management by Gov. It shouldn't matter whether one is studying under a tree or not...if you have committed parents, teachers and students. Absentism both by teacher and student. Failure to complete sylabus in time. Most of the private primary schools that excel have very little resources compared to public ones..majority sit on half an acre of land...but committed school owners, teachers and parents.
In kenya whenever there is a problem..like schools or police...you just here we want more resources..we want better housing...we want better cars....while real common sensical solutions cost nothing.
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Omollo, i wish we had some research data that would help us identify the loose hanging fruits otherwise anything that is going to need resources and a lot of it will have to wait; For me the teacher make all the difference in class; we need to keep moving the grade for qualification of a teacher..from C now to something like every primary school be a graduate with bachelors...this is what is making the difference in places like Finland.
I think the most modest of school....a shade from weather..is goog enough...to produce high quality student.
In short.....we have to squeeze all we can from our current investment...without giving teachers, school management and gov excuses. And of course student whether studying under tree or 5 star hotel have no excuse to fail...and we should not make it easy...by avoiding ranking.
There is a limit to how far the no-cost reforms you suggest can go. It's not that they have never been tried before. They have indeed. The problem is that these type of reforms achieve most where everything else in place except performance by teachers and students.
Pundit, it does not matter whether a student attends a chemistry class every day and even uses vacation time to "study". If this guy has never seen a test tube before exams, he is cooked. In principal I have nothing against learning under a tree. I did love to hold those lessons outside the classroom. However some parts of Kenya - indeed most places in Kenya - cannot support learning under a tree.
Let's take your home area - Sotik. Mogogosiek recorded rain daily in one year - is it 1980 or 84 - I don't know. That means no classes could be held in that area for the entire duration of school for that year! Areas like NEP and Tana need expensive classrooms to be at par with those of other areas. The classrooms must be built to cool the environment inside. Otherwise the blowing sand, heat, etc is just not conducive to learning. I know that for years learning had to stop at 12 noon in all schools in NEP due to the high temperatures.
So you cannot escape spending if you need to stop kids running from one area to those perceived to be "better"!
Lastly, I think teachers in Kenya deserve a break. No other country on earth has a system that dumps parenthood on teachers without paying them for rendering that service like Kenya does! Boarding schools are now taking in younger and younger kids. All Pundit needs to do is get a baby, at 2 he can take him to boarding school and visit when he can. or wait until 6 (but everybody knows it is now 4) take him to primary school - with boarding. The kid can come home for a week before returning for coaching (which returned after Mutula died). after standard eight, he will go to high school and from there to university. All Pundit needs is to pay.
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I am not against ranking as long as it is NOT done by GoK. GoK can't be telling parents that the school you are taking your kid to is at the rock bottom and chances of you passing exams is zero. It is morally reprehensible and potentially exposes the state to serious litigation arising from willfully denying a child quality education. But... they are free to resume should they succumb to the Academy Mafia.
I agree that the teacher makes all the difference. That is why I have been critical of the current "Give-Us-More-Money" trade unions - with NUT (kiswahili for Kichaa) leading. Teachers need a guarantee to post qualification education. It should be free and mandatory. The so called "Special Education" must be offered to all teachers with a view of giving equal opportunity to disabled children and improving the teacher ability to deal with students with learning difficulties.
This is in addition to the improvement of efficiency. It starts at the top Pundit. The PS education is a lucrative post. All you have to do is embark on a tour of schools. You will receive your envelope from each and every school. If in Kapsabet, all the head teachers will collect cash which will then be handed to you at one of the schools.
The principals then have bought their protection. They keep the local TSC and Ministry officials happy with alcohol and regular envelopes and they are free to roam. Most principals spend about 2 hours a week in school. They come to collect more money and off they go. The serious ones are supervising their "investments" such as rental houses, matatus etc. But most are just running from lodging to another with all types of women.
An absent Principal means teachers can also take time off.
I would insist on random drug tests.
Omollo, i wish we had some research data that would help us identify the loose hanging fruits otherwise anything that is going to need resources and a lot of it will have to wait; For me the teacher make all the difference in class; we need to keep moving the grade for qualification of a teacher..from C now to something like every primary school be a graduate with bachelors...this is what is making the difference in places like Finland.
I think the most modest of school....a shade from weather..is goog enough...to produce high quality student.
In short.....we have to squeeze all we can from our current investment...without giving teachers, school management and gov excuses. And of course student whether studying under tree or 5 star hotel have no excuse to fail...and we should not make it easy...by avoiding ranking.
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Right. These are low hanging fruits.The mess start with min of education, then inspectors, then head teachers, and then teachers. And only way parents can make noise if when the school is rank last. What can parents do to retaliate against this academic mafia. Maybe Musa Ndunda thing of parent association can be made powerful?
I think ranking should be refined..and linked to promotion. It should be weighted based on school resources, teachers,average distance to school, insecurity, hardship and etc.
Such a ranking index can easily be developed. And based on such an objective ranking..teachers can be promoted and demoted. Also schools that do well can be given more money.
For instance a school in NEP that is scoring 200 will be ranked equally with one in nairobi scoring 300.
I am not against ranking as long as it is NOT done by GoK. GoK can't be telling parents that the school you are taking your kid to is at the rock bottom and chances of you passing exams is zero. It is morally reprehensible and potentially exposes the state to serious litigation arising from willfully denying a child quality education. But... they are free to resume should they succumb to the Academy Mafia.
I agree that the teacher makes all the difference. That is why I have been critical of the current "Give-Us-More-Money" trade unions - with NUT (kiswahili for Kichaa) leading. Teachers need a guarantee to post qualification education. It should be free and mandatory. The so called "Special Education" must be offered to all teachers with a view of giving equal opportunity to disabled children and improving the teacher ability to deal with students with learning difficulties.
This is in addition to the improvement of efficiency. It starts at the top Pundit. The PS education is a lucrative post. All you have to do is embark on a tour of schools. You will receive your envelope from each and every school. If in Kapsabet, all the head teachers will collect cash which will then be handed to you at one of the schools.
The principals then have bought their protection. They keep the local TSC and Ministry officials happy with alcohol and regular envelopes and they are free to roam. Most principals spend about 2 hours a week in school. They come to collect more money and off they go. The serious ones are supervising their "investments" such as rental houses, matatus etc. But most are just running from lodging to another with all types of women.
An absent Principal means teachers can also take time off.
I would insist on random drug tests.
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You have to be very careful before you endorse haphazard changes effected in kenya... look:
Every time abrupt laws are passed in that rotten country, there is an ulterior motive to benefit a few just for the spur of the moment..before they are reverted to the old formula...by then, irreparable damage will have been done changing others' lives forever.... :(
A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Form One selection as fears emerged that the process could be manipulated following the Ministry of Education’s decision to withhold candidates’ merit list from the public. Consequently, stakeholders are worried that this has created an opportunity for some officials to deny deserving students Form One places so as to allocate the slots to their friends through the back door. The stakeholders, among them parents and a teachers’ union, yesterday expressed reservations and warned that the credibility of the selection process could be dented since candidates' performance was not made available for public scrutiny. Private schools have also vowed to fight the criteria to be used in admitting this year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Education( KCPE) candidates to Form One. The Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) yesterday said the decision to discontinue ranking had "a sinister motive and is aimed at concealing a lot of injustices" for the children. "This will be the worst selection process because everything is being done under the table. Kenyans were not shown the merit list, the selection criteria is also not known and the ministry is bent on discriminating against some of the candidates," said KPSA Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndoro.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000146377&story_title=form-one-intake-puzzle-after-end-of-ranking-order
I agree with this assessment. When you take a look at the reasons given by the MoE, you'll find that they're totally bogus. I'd like any nipatean to give me any reason (besides those that I've called out as baseless.)
http://nipate.com/no-rankings-as-kaimenyi-releases-kcpe-results-t51208.html
National Schools in Western Kenya have been forced by the Ministry of Education to admit students from other regions who scored below 50 percent in the KCPE exams into Form One, the Star has established.
Bunyore Girls, Kakamega High School, Lugulu Girls and Friends Kamusinga have enrolled students with marks as low as 211 and 214, although they are National Schools supposed to accept the high-performers.
The marks in question are well below the pass mark for entry into a National School.
The exact reasons for the skewed admission and bias were not stated.
This admission of low-performers locks out deserving students who scored more than 400 marks.
The schools’ boards of management have been unsuccessful in seeking redress from the County Education Commissioners because the Form One selection was done in Nairobi.
A survey by The Star revealed that more than 70 students from Nyeri and Karatina, with marks as low as 214 marks, have been admitted to Friends School Kamusinga, a National School in Bungoma county.
Most of the 70 students scored less than 350 marks.
Admission of pupils with average to sub-par marks questions the ideal of meritocracy, denying excellent students the schools of their choice.
Chairman of the Board of Management of Friends School Kamusinga Professor Noah Sitati yesterday said they were helpless. He regretted the preferential selection of students who got low marks will erode standards of National Schools.
“One admitted student got 214 marks in the KCPE exam. That’s a failure. Those less than 350 marks are about two streams. Being a National School, we get students from anywhere but to get a student with 214 marks is outrageous,” Prof Sitati said.
The chairman said such students could have difficulty being admitted to a County school let alone a national school.
“This means that county and district schools are getting better students, while national schools are getting the worst,” Prof Sitati said. Standards will fall, he predicted, pupils will not be motivated and competition will die.
“We have protested to the County Education Commissioner but nothing can be done because the process is controlled from the Ministry headquarters in Nairobi. Very good children with good marks have been left out. What do we do with those who passed well and deserve to be admitted to national schools?” Prof Sitati asked?
He said Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi should fix the mess.
Source THE STAR
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if they are really 'National' they should be able to transform the 214 marks into As after 4 years ....
The highly rated national schools are a fallacy- they poach the best KCPE pupils who no matter where they go they are expected to perform better ...this 214 marks is a real test
National Schools in Western Kenya have been forced by the Ministry of Education to admit students from other regions who scored below 50 percent in the KCPE exams into Form One, the Star has established.
Bunyore Girls, Kakamega High School, Lugulu Girls and Friends Kamusinga have enrolled students with marks as low as 211 and 214, although they are National Schools supposed to accept the high-performers.
The marks in question are well below the pass mark for entry into a National School.
The exact reasons for the skewed admission and bias were not stated.
This admission of low-performers locks out deserving students who scored more than 400 marks.
...
A survey by The Star revealed that more than 70 students from Nyeri and Karatina, with marks as low as 214 marks, have been admitted to Friends School Kamusinga, a National School in Bungoma county.
Most of the 70 students scored less than 350 marks.
Admission of pupils with average to sub-par marks questions the ideal of meritocracy, denying excellent students the schools of their choice.
Chairman of the Board of Management of Friends School Kamusinga Professor Noah Sitati yesterday said they were helpless. He regretted the preferential selection of students who got low marks will erode standards of National Schools.
“One admitted student got 214 marks in the KCPE exam. That’s a failure. Those less than 350 marks are about two streams. Being a National School, we get students from anywhere but to get a student with 214 marks is outrageous,” Prof Sitati said.
The chairman said such students could have difficulty being admitted to a County school let alone a national school.
“This means that county and district schools are getting better students, while national schools are getting the worst,” Prof Sitati said. Standards will fall, he predicted, pupils will not be motivated and competition will die.