Private schools take KCSE lead in Coast region

MOMBASA: Private secondary schools posted the best Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCPE) results in Coast region, with government schools also making an impressive showing.

The best schools, according to results received by The Standard indicated that Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al –Nahyan, Light Academy and Aga Khan High School from Mombasa posted the best results in terms of mean score and high grades.

Sheikh Khalifa School, which has a boys and a girls wing enrolled 150 students (77 boys and 73 girls).

While 17 students scored plain A (14 for boys and 3 for girls), the lowest candidate scored C+. The school posted a mean score of 10.12 from 9.28 in 2013.

School principal Suleiman Bwika attributed the sterling performance to hard work and dedication by all members of the school community.

Light Academy, situated in Nyali, Mombasa had a mean score of 9.96, an improvement from 9.62 in 2003.

Out of 28 candidates, 11 scored A, including one A plain, 14 obtained B including 9 B+, 4 plain Bs and a B-, while only two students scored C and C+.

The best performing subject was Islamic Education where all pupils except one scored A, with Kiswahili posting the lowest results of 8.33.

School principal Mustafa Genc attributed the performance to teamwork by teachers in the school and the school tradition of hard work among pupils.

The school which came first in the region last year came under fierce competition from Aga Khan Academy and Sheikh Khalifa Technical and Secondary School, which had also posted good results.

English and Kiswahili languages posted 9.48 and 8.33 respectively while Maths had 10.67, Biology 10.87 and Chemistry 11.08.

History and Geography registered the score of 9.50 and 11.22 respectively.

The school took teachers on an all expenses paid trip to Turkey to celebrate their good performance.

The principal however said they are yet to decide how they will celebrate this year's achievement.

Aga Khan High School put up a good show in last year's KCPE results, with 43 As.

The school obtained 21 A plains, 22 A minus, 38 B plus, 23 Bs and 21 B minus in last year's  examinations.

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An elated principal Mariam Lavingia said the impressive results raised the mean score from 8.95 obtained in 2013 to 9.51 scored last year. The school registered 147 candidates for the examination.

"We are so happy to have done better last year than in the previous year. The results have also improved our mean score," Ms Lavingia said.

A student, Ummeattiya Minir, who scored an A of 84 points attributed her success to her parents and teachers and said she would like to pursue her dream of becoming a civil engineer.

"I am so elated. I thank God, my parents and teachers for the excellent achievement. It is a result of hard work and co-operation with my teachers," she said.

Meanwhile, secondary schools in Taita-Taveta County have remarkably improved in last year's KCSE results released Tuesday.

Principals interviewed said last year's results had improved compared to the previous year's.

At Dr Aggrey High School in Wundanyi town, the principal, Flavian Kitolome, disclosed that the school's mean score improved from 7.09 in 2013 to 7.348 last year. Mr Kitolome said out of 112 students who sat last year's examination, two candidates got A, 6 A-, 11 B+, 13 B, 21 B-, 22 C+, 17 C, 14 C-, 5 D+ and 1 D-.

At Kenyatta National School in Mwatate, the principal, Severine Tolle, said the school performed better in last year's examination compared to the previous year.

He said the  school has a mean score of 7.348 compared to 7.09 in the the previous year, a slight improvement of 0.248.

Mr Tolle said out of 171 candidates who sat last year's KCSE, five got 5 plain compared to 3 in the previous year.

The principal said nine candidates got A-, 20 B+, 33 B, 45 B-, 38 C+, 20 C, 5 C- and 1 D+. "The results are better. There is a big improvement," said Tolle during an interview Tuesday.

In 2013, the school produced top student in the county.

Most stakeholders in the education sector urged the Government to reinstate the ranking system so as to encourage competition and sharing of success among schools and candidates.