Effects Of Examination Results
April 27, 2022
Many students who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in March this year are asking themselves many questions concerning their individual performance. Some of these include:
“Why did I fail to score good grades as I had anticipated?”
“How is life going to be now that I cannot go to university?”
“ I do not want to repeat Form 4; what should I do?”
These are some of the questions going through the minds of the students who sat their Form 4 exams. The same questions must be on the minds of those joining Secondary School.
The exam results are out; many students have had time to think and decide what to do. Some have decided to go back to Form 4 and perform better. Some, who did not perform well, will change course, and follow their dreams, later. The Standard 8 students have the option of re-sitting the exams or joining Secondary School, hoping for better results. The challenge is that getting into a good school is hard with poor results.
There is also the challenge for those from needy backgrounds who passed their examinations, but do not have the tuition fees to proceed onto university. As much as they desire to get a university education, it is next to impossible for them to achieve their dreams. Then there are those that scored very poor grades. These often come from well to do homes that can pay their university fees, but do not have the grades necessary to join the university. Each of these groups have their own unique problems.
We have had many former Form 4 students call us asking for advice on what to do as, they did not get the required grades. We are advising them to start with a certificate course, then pursue a diploma, and then a degree. This will require patience and hard work. With discipline and focus, however, good things can be achieved.
Schools have resumed, and those students who are sitting their final examinations in December, are working hard to ensure they do well on their exams. They have seen the different effect of failing or passing exams from the students who have just finished their tests. Students who did well in their Standard 8 examinations have had an easy time getting vacancies in well performing Secondary Schools; those that failed are at home struggling to find a school to accept them.
Parents are having a stressful time trying to get their children to join Secondary School. Some of those that failed are opting to join polytechnics where they can learn different skills like tailoring, carpentry, hairdressing, and catering, among other options.
As school principals aggressively fight to get the well performing students into their schools, there is need to think about those that did not perform well. There will be many cases of students falling into depression, attempting suicide, and abusing drugs and alcohol as a way of coping with failure. They need to be encouraged and given a second chance at education.
Students sit an examination in Secondary School hoping to achieve good grades to acquire a university education.
