The demise of Nyanza giants in national examinations

By Mangoa Mosota

It was once a great school, but not any more. It would well be described as a dead giant.

St Mary’s Mosocho Boarding Primary School, in Kisii District, is now a shadow of what it was 15 years ago.

A walk down memory lane shows the institution was often ranked among the top ten schools in the country.

And in this year’s results, the institution had four candidates in the top100 in Nyanza Province, and yes, none features in the top 100 countrywide. Mosocho is the epitome of poor performance by public schools in the region, despite billions being pumped to the institutions through the Free Primary Education Programme effected in 2003.

Own shadows

The others that are shadows include Eronge, Nyabururu Girls, Itierio, St Andrews Kagwa Boys and Girls (all boarding schools).

They do not have any candidate in the top 100 nationally.

A former head teacher of Mosocho, Peter Nyambasora said they performed this feat annually.

"Good performance in KCPE was synonymous with Mosocho," says Mr Nyambasora, who now runs a private primary school.

He headed the school as it made headlines and produced the best candidate countrywide in 1988, Gilbert Nyasoko.

Nyambasora says apart from having about ten candidates in the top 100 nationwide, they used to have about 20 in the top 100 in Nyanza.

Proud of it

I was a pupil at the institution in the early 90s, and is proud about it. Out of about 50 candidates who sat for KCPE in 1992, 35 made it to national schools.

Nyambasora says the excellent performance was as a result of dedicated staff and parents.

Received recognition

"The teachers were motivated and received recognition for good results," he says.

Having been a teacher at the school for close to 30 years, he says he knew the key to success and argues that the downturn of the school was making a Catholic nun head it.

The new management style made teachers uncomfortable.

"As a result, most sought transfers," he adds.

I cannot forget that while in Standard Eight we were supposed to be in class by 5am, and the teacher on duty would check on latecomers.

The disciple was high-level; no food from home and pocket money was in the custody of a boarding master.

He was a strict Dutchman, who ensured school rules were followed to the letter.