The Ministry of education has indicted a number of private schools for employing dirty tactics to get their way to the top of KCPE results.
According to Kenyan newspaper The Standard, the list of schools indicted by the Ministry of Education (MoE) contains schools that also dominated the top positions in the 2016 KCPE results.
According to MoE, the schools have been admitting many pupils but registering them in different examination centres. Pupils considered bright are registered using the school’s name while those considered average and poor are registered in other centres.
Apparently, this segregation of students ensures that the few bright picks give the schools a high mean grade and a fertile marketing ground. An analysis of the top 10 schools in 2015 and 2016 reveal that private schools register as few as 16 candidates.
According to the Kenya National examination Council chairman George Magoha, said schools will not be allowed to register multiple centres for examination next year.
This year, Makini School (Ngong Road Academy) posted a mean score of 419 to emerge top nationally, beating 26,000 other schools. This centre registered only 21 candidates. In the 2015 KCPE results, this centre registered 21 candidates and posted a mean score of 412 to emerge fourth nationally.
New Light Academy in Komarock (Nairobi, Embakasi sub-county), posted a mean score of 410 and was second nationally. The centre registered only 21 candidates. During last year’s KCPE, New Light was ranked position two nationally with a mean score of 424. The school had only registered 22 candidates.
Gilgil Hills Academy, which registered 23 candidates, has posted a mean score of 405 and is third nationally. Last year, the school was sixth nationally with a mean score of 419 and had 22 candidates.
Lizar Junior School in Naivasha, which registered 70 candidates, posted a mean score of 404 to scoop fourth position nationally. The school did not make it to top 10 list last year.
Closing the top five schools list nationally is Marell Academy (Bungoma South sub-county), which produced the fourth best candidate with 434 marks. The school registered only 22 candidates this year and posted a mean score of 402.
Also tying in position five is Chelsa Academy (Bomet), which registered 25 candidates last year and posted a mean score of 414 to emerge number seven. This year, the academy registered 28 candidates and tied in position five with Marell.
Fred’s Academy (Imenti North), which also produced the fourth best candidate this year, only registered 44 candidates and posted a mean score of 400 to emerge number seven nationally. In 2015, the school registered 39 candidates and posted a mean score of 423 to emerge position three.
Al-Ansaaru Nursery and Primary School of Kamukunji (Nairobi) registered 24 candidates and posted a mean score of 400. In 2015, Al-Ansaaru registered 20 candidates and posted a mean score of 414 to emerge number seven.
Highrise Academy (Bureti) registered 16 candidates for this year’s examinations and registered a mean score of 398 to appear among the top 10 schools nationally.
