It’s time to ask hard questions as we celebrate KCSE results

A student in an exam room holding a KCSE paper. (Photo: Courtesy)

The worth of any education system (efficiency) is normally measured by the value obtainable from the inputs made over a period of time. The proportion of learner growth and development attributable to the totality of the learning experience constitutes the output. These output attributes include but are not limited to literacy and numeracy skills, positive social attitude, civic responsibility, religious piety and others.

As a country, we have arrived at a destination in history where business cannot go on as usual. We are at a crossroads and we need to ask ourselves hard questions. These questions must include: What is happening to our children through the schooling cycle? We need to shift gear from the excitement brought about by Free Primary Education and subsidised secondary that purely addressed the question of how many children were in school. We must now continually question the net improvement of the composite skills obtained as a function of being educated.