Can Kenya be Reborn?

It is barely a month after Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiangi released 2016 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results. After the release of the results Dr. Matiangi was the talk of the month. Until now he is still the talk of the New Year.Many Kenyans praised Mr. Matiangi for a job well done. His efficiency was felt across the country. I am very sure to some extent it gave the Jubilee Government a plus for giving Kenyans the best minister in the education sector. According to many, the Education CS had started a good work of sanitizing the education sector in Kenya and more so the Examination sector that saw many students attain doctored grades. They applauded him for curbing examination irregularities that have been rampant in yester years. The results that were released last month by the minister, brought with it rude shocks to the so-called academic giants in Kenya. This academic giant in the past they have been known to post exemplary performance in the past years. Close to twenty best performing schools did not stand the test of the time, as they were blown away by Maitangi’s tides and waves. They were tossed off the academic ocean and deposited at its shows. In the last year’s KCSE results, many of the schools that performed well were little known. Nobody expected them to perform the way they performed. For many years their positions have always been reserved, that is after the ‘big’ schools. A school like Kisima Mixed Secondary School from Nyandarua county taking the fourth position country wide. Moi Tea Secondary School in Kericho county emerging number six, beating even Alliance High Schoool. Not forgetting Anestar Boys High School proving its academic mighty by triumphing over schools like Starehe Boys Center and Precious Blood. I guess it was more painful and humiliating for Starehe Boys Center who didn’t even make it to the top twenty list country wide. This were not the best results to them. Maybe something is not working right somewhere. With all these changes taking place in the education sector and especially in the national exam, things have taken a new twist. There is a clique of people who have gone overboard and 'dug' into Matang'i's results and concluded that he made an error with the just released KCSE results. According to them, their investigations is the truth and the living truth that now they need Matiangi on the cross. Kenya National union of teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has discredited the results released by Dr. Fred Matiang’i saying that there were so many errors committed and the Education Minister should have consulted before releasing such results. Sossion has openly admitted that he spoke to some insiders in the government and they were unhappy with the results. He said that with their backing he will do everything possible and see to it that the 2016 KCSE results are revoked. As he spoke, the backing from these government quarters seems to have assured him everything will work to his favor as long as he pushes without giving up. Sossion is determined to snatch Matiang'i the gun he used to shoot the enemy ( exam irregularities) and use it against him. The Knut boss further said he has sought help from parliament that will soon look into the matter so that examination credibility in Kenya is restored. He also said that so many schools, students, and parents are mourning because of just one man-Mr. Matiangi. I wonder when Mr. Sossion says that moderation was not well done, how did he want it to be done. Could it be that the moderation he is talking about is the changing of grades in favour of some students and schools. Is the injustice he is pointing out to true or does he just want to show the teachers that he is by their side through thick and thin. That they can count on him during this hard times and in return they will also do the same when his time comes? There is one point that I might agree with Sossion. When he says that all the subjects were graded using the same scale. For, instant, if cut off marks for A was 90 then it was so in all subjects. If an E was 40 marks and below the same. If that actually happened, then he has a point. As a student when choosing given subjects you are motivated by your strength in those subjects. You do a self-evaluation and decide what your academic muscles will allow you to shoulder. It should not turn out to be a cruel burden. Maybe that is why the boys had a rough time because most of them go for the so called tough subjects. All in all, this should not be used against the girls because some of them chose those ‘hard’ subjects and still performed well. Boys should not be given grades because they are boys rather they should be given good grades because they deserved them and also because they have worked for them. How I wish Sossion would also address the normal curve of the economic world where most of these students who earn good grades cannot even be proud of what they scored. Financially, a good number of these students are sometimes beaten hands down by the average students. The A students sometimes struggle with life while the average student enjoys it. Take the example of doctors and politicians in Kenya. Mr. Sossion, you also need to investigate the teachers if they truly did their job well. Your hypothesis is leaning towards one side. Explore all angles so that you come up with the best findings that you will us to draw a conclusion. Dig deeper into your investigation so that it doesn’t hurt you in return. I also want to take this time to tell Sossion that he and Raila Odinga aren’t reading from the same script. For him, his war is against Matiang'i and Raila’s war is against Uhuru Kenyatta. To the opposition leader, what matters most is political mileage. You need to fight for the interest of teachers because you are because of them. Maybe as a reader, you have a different opinion. Think about these results that were posted last year and the ones that were posted in 2015. Draw your own curve, a normal one and the abnormal one but for moderation leave it to Sossion. GRADE 2015 2016 A 2,685 141 A- 12,069 4,645 B+ 21,927 10,975 B 33,460 17,216 B- 44,581 23,745 C+ 54,770 32,745 C 64,913 44,792 C- 74,115 61,026 D+ 79,157 80,851 D 79,555 112,135 D- 48,648 149,929 E 5,350 33,399 Meanwhile, Dr. Matiangi has gripped his gun and as a matter of fact, he is not ready to allow Sossion and his colleagues, the likes of the Kenya National Union of post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) chairman Omboko Milemba access to it. According to Mr. Matiangi, he is licensed to carry the gun and he knows when to use it and how to use it. The writing is clear, he is not going to succumb to any intimidation in spite of the source. The minister said that he pledges his allegiance to the taxpayers and God. Dr. Matiang'i has in fact extended his cleanup in the institution of higher learning. So many people are not comfortable with that, but there is little they can do as per now. Matiang'i era is still here with us and he is cautious of making any error.

Can Kenya be Reborn?

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Can Kenya be Reborn?

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism. Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.