Why we must urgently address this ugly face of inequality in education

Class eight candidates from M.M Shah primary school in Kisumu during rehearsals on October 30,2017, a day to the start of KCPE exam. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Once upon a time, parents encouraged their children to work hard in school to secure a better future. As a young boy, life was a simple reductive. Good grades begat a good life and more options.

This remains partly true, but in modern Kenya making the grade is not just about career and choices. Getting the right grades has become symbolic of social status and a tool for both maintenance and negotiation of one’s position within complex social class categories.