Confusion reigned on Monday as candidates received their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam results amid uncertainty created by the scrapping of the traditional ranking of the best performers.

Parents and pupils stayed away from their schools across the country. In the very scattered incidents where celebrations were spotted, it was in low tones because no one was quite sure how they had performed relative to other top students across the country.

Until last year, scenes of excitement after the release of examination results were commonplace.

Typically, schools that performed well and ranked top would be a beehive of activity, including having their respective school buses pick up the top students from home and parade them in towns.

Makini Group of Schools Director Mary Okello says she was unmoved by the scrapping of the ranking regime.

“It has been an even bigger celebration here; we have done better than last year but we have no way of telling if we retained the top slot,” says Dr Okello, whose Makini Academy on Nairobi’s Ngong Road was ranked top last year.

RETAINED POSITION

She says her school had 44 pupils with 400 marks and above, compared to 25 last year. “I believe we retained number one,” Dr Okello said.

By the end of yesterday, it was unclear who the best candidate nationally was – a huge break from the past where schools would break into song and dance to celebrate their top performers.

Opinion was split on whether abolishing ranking according to academic performance was beneficial.

Charles Ochome is disappointed with the end of the ranking. Understandably so, as his school, Golden Elite Academy in Kisumu, produced the best student nationally in 2013.

Otieno Atieno Daphne of Golden Elite Academy scored 444 marks last year, to tie with Brian Kimutai as the joint top candidates.

“Ranking is everywhere in life. It gives people the urge to evaluate themselves so as to forge a way of making their results better.

“I think the Ministry of Education needs to give an alternative to replace the ranking so as to get education stakeholders out of the darkness,” said a furious Mr Ochome.

His sentiments were shared by proprietors of several private schools across the country, arguing that without ranking it would be impossible for schools to compete for pupils.

Richard Guya, director of Hekima School also in Kisumu, said he felt let down as an investor of a private school.

Alex Onsarigo, a candidate who attained 438 marks from a primary school in Kakamega town, was more diplomatic.

“Ranking will make others who did not pass feel bad, so it is good for people to know their results individually and focus ahead,” said Onsarigo, 15, of Kakamega Hill School.

Goretti Biwott, who scored 433 from Eldoret, says she was unhappy she could not gauge how she had performed compared to other candidates.

Kenya National Parents Association Secretary General Musau Ndunda told The Standard scrapping of ranking was long overdue.