Parents across the country have been urged to choose schools that focus on comprehensive learning to set their children up for future success.
Amanda Birkenstock, Executive Principal at Crawford International School, on Wednesday said the type of school a child attends will play a key role in determining whether or not they succeed in future.
Speaking during an open day for parents, Ms Amanda said the process of choosing a school should be a strategic evaluation, focusing on key areas.
Her sentiments come amid fears that a lot of parents will be navigating a complex web of options while selecting the schools to take their children to for academic and social development.
So far, Basic Education PS Bitok said the Senior school placements for 2025 KJSEA candidates are due by Friday.
He said learners to check via SMS to 22263 with their KNEC assessment number.
The learners will receive their results in hard copy print-outs and provisional online slips in a move aimed at safeguarding accuracy, transparency and accountability under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Bitok earlier on said a new placement formula into senior secondary school is being used to ensure equity, fairness and transparency.
According to the PS, Senior School placement is no longer about who scored highest, but about where each learner is most likely to thrive.
The placement mirrors the County Revenue Allocation (CRA) model used to distribute national resources among the 47 counties.
“To be able to place students equitably, we have adopted the CRA formula to distribute, as fairly as possible, students from all counties across the four categories of schools,” Bitok explained.
Under the model, 42 per cent of slots are allocated based on county population, giving larger counties such as Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kakamega and Bungoma proportionately more spaces.
Academic performance accounts for 22 per cent, poverty levels 14 per cent, distance to school 13 per cent, and school size and infrastructure nine per cent with the PS assuring this formula ensures equity, fairness and transparency.
The policy will focus on key factors, among them population, learners’ performance, poverty levels, distance to schools and the size and infrastructure of schools.
And Amanda, in her remarks, said, “At a time when employers are evaluating both test scores and skills while recruiting staff, the schools parents chose to take their children will play a key role in determining whether or not they succeed in life.”
According to her, the curriculum offered, the teaching methods employed, the quality of education offered in terms of skills, values and exposure to external opportunities for growth, the overall environment and partnership between the school and parents should be among the key areas parents focus on.
“The true measure of a good school lies in both academic rankings and the skills or values it can impart on the children,” she said, adding, “The best curricula balance core academics with arts, music and physical education, prioritising critical thinking over memorisation.”
Amanda’s assertions are backed by a McKinsey and Company report, which shows that students who go through schools which provide comprehensive training are 35-50 per cent more employable than those who go through traditional education.
The quality of teachers in a particular school can also significantly impact a child's academic and social success, personal growth and love for learning.
Amanda said high quality teachers build safe, supportive classrooms where students feel comfortable asking questions and taking risks.
She also said experienced teachers transform everyday activities into learning opportunities, fostering problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork through engaging methods like project-based learning.
“Beyond academics, great teachers act as mentors, shaping a child's character, identity and readiness for the future,” she said.
The school environment, to her, is also something that can significantly impact a child's success.
She said the learning environment should be clean, safe and well-maintained, with sufficient resources such as a well-stocked library and modern laboratories.
“Parents should also be on the lookout for schools that foster quality partnership with parents, since this is what fosters transparency and regular communication about student progress,” Amanda said.
