Exam cheating, integrity take over drama fete

Students from St Mary's Yala present a play. (Photo: George Orido/Standard)

The controversial issue of cheating in examinations took centre stage at the ongoing Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival as students revisited the vice that has dogged and compromised learning for years.

Presenting Flowers of Florence, St Mary’s School Yala depicted how corruption in the school system manifests itself in many ways, including examination cheating.

The play focuses on the central role of the teacher in inculcating positive values to young minds through the inept Mr Kijiko (Dan Omondi Juma) and the diligent Madam Florence Felecia (Wycliffe Kaiser).

“If you argue like that, you will successfully fail your examination. In fact, question two of the national examination this year will be this poem Lapobo,” Mr Kijiko warns his students.

Unknown to him, the examinations authorities have discovered that his subject’s examination papers have been leaked and has set new questions set.

On the other hand, Madam Florence refuses to engage in examination cheating schemes. When the results are released, her class has excelled while Mr Kijiko’s has failed miserably.

Defending champions St Mary’s Lwak Girls wowed the audience with their creative dance Fadha Adriano depicting a day dreamer in class.

Winning dance

In the dream, the student aspires to be a priest even though his father wants him to marry and bear grandchildren for him. With such an intriguing conflict, the sheer artistry is a better version of the 2016 winning dance, Sax-Vio-Guitar.

Many a play depict heaven in imagined forms, but in this dance produced by Sister Anastacia, the characters come live and heaven is literally brought down on stage as angels draped in snow-white flowing dresses bellow the trumpets in an unbelievable brass rendition.

Lwak has come to revolutionise how the creative cultural dance works at the fete by effectively blending Western and African traditional music equipment.

“I am glad we reached the nationals again, my hope is for the best for our students as we push the message that the calling to missionary work should be embraced by the youth,” said Sister Anastasia after the show that received a standing ovation and pulled the biggest audience.

Many a people could only watch it by craning their neck through the louvers of the Tom Mboya Labour Hall after missing the tickets.

National values

Muthuaini presented Githii Giitu, a dance on poor leadership that has put a community on the verge of perishing. Leaders who take advantage of their subjects and squander their resources have to be shown the door in a community that depends on maize farming for their survival.

“It is noteworthy that many items have attempted the theme of enhancing national values for development in a very creative way,” said Festival Chairman Chokera Kahora.