Teething problems: why Private schools dominated top grades

Education CS Julius Ogamba addressing the media during the release of the Kenya Junior Schools Education Assessment (KJSEA) 2025 results at the KNEC Headquarters in Nairobi on December 11, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Private schools have maintained dominance over their public school counterparts in the just-released Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA). An analysis by the Standard of preliminary KJSEA data shows that learners from private schools accounted for the bulk of candidates rated "Exceeding Expectations", the highest achievement under the new student ranking under the CBC. The data further indicate that while public schools enrolled the majority of candidates who sat the inaugural KJSEA, comparatively fewer of their learners broke into the highest performance category, extending a long-running trend as was the case under the KCPE exams. Education experts point to sharper teacher-learner ratios, closer parental supervision and better-resourced private schools as key factors behind the disparity in performance. However, the Ministry of Education insists the new assessment system is designed to progressively level the playing field. But, Kenya Junior School Teachers Association (KEJUSTA) argues the playing field is far from level due to inequalities of limited resources in the State-owned institutions. It said the schools are operating on a barely optimum status spanning from a shortage of laboratories, workshops, computer labs, and libraries required to fully prepare students for the three senior school pathways. Omari, the National Spokesperson, said that while educators are eager to prepare students for senior school, the glaring lack of facilities is holding them back. "We are supposed to come in, get laboratories, workshops, computer labs, and libraries so that we prepare our students properly. Unfortunately, we have no facilities or not enough facilities to be able to do that," Omari said, stressing that the situation is frustrating for both teachers and learners alike. He explained that the shortage of facilities limits students' exposure to practical experiments, technology, and hands-on learning, which are essential for the three senior school pathways: academic, technical, and vocational. "Without laboratories, workshops, and computer labs, students are unable to develop critical practical skills, leaving them underprepared for the next level of education," he said. The Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) chairman, Charles Ochome, said the performance gap reflects long-term investment in learning environments rather than the assessment system itself. He noted that private schools have consistently prioritised infrastructure, teacher support and learner follow-up, giving their candidates an advantage even under the new CBC-aligned assessment. "This is not about private schools being favoured, but about preparedness. Where schools are well resourced and teachers supported, learners will perform, regardless of the system," Ochome said in an interview with the Standard on Saturday. An analysis of selected institutions in Machakos County shows that the private institutions took the lead. At St Philip Neri Junior School in Joska, Machakos County, 38 out of the 74 candidates who sat the national examination assessment managed the Exceeding Expectation (EE,1,2), while another 30 candidates achieved Meeting Expectation (ME). Only six candidates were ranked as Approaching Expectation (AE). According to the school head teacher, Andrew Mwangi, the impressive performance was a product of strict compliance with the CBE system and hard work. "These results did not come by chance. We achieved it because we got it right from the start. We complied with the established guidelines on teaching methodology, giving the right content and implementing the curriculum design to the letter," Mwangi told The Standard in an interview. He said, contrary to the previous 8-4-4 system, where candidates were gauged on their ability to remember, the current system was more learner-oriented and focused on developing hands-on skills and a practical approach to problem solving. "There was no guesswork on our part. We knew what we were doing. We were ready for CBE in terms of infrastructure, laboratories, textbooks and ICT integration and a highly qualified and motivated teaching force that understood their job well," he said. Brenda Makena, one of the top candidates who scored straight Exceeding Expectation (EE1) with 72 points, said she hoped to join Kenya High School, where she would focus on the STEM pathway. "My dream school is Kenya High, where I hope to focus on my ambition to pursue biomedicine and technology," said Brenda. In Kyandu Bright Academy,y which registered 84 candidates, some 24 candidates scored over 70 points, with two candidates scooping straight EE1. "In simple language, all our candidates passed the assessment. Apart from the 24 candidates who scored over 70 points, the rest of the class registered Meeting Expectation (ME)," said the school director, Timothy Kimolo. According to the director, the new CBE system provided a different atmosphere of teaching and interacting with learners, a culture he said had been inculcated among his staff since time immemorial. "CBE is a different ball game. The system emphasises learners' practical capabilities, which must be developed through a well-grounded system of knowledge transfer with a keen focus on conceptualisation and not the ability to memorise," he said. At Jonazaria Academy in Kathiani, where 26 candidates were registered for the assessment, 23 of them achieved Exceeding Expectation,n and just three candidates achieved Meeting Expectation. Some of the top candidates included Bradwell Baraka (70 points), Trevor Gift (69 points), Julie Mbithe (69 points) and Purity Muthama (69 points). "Our success did not come on a silver platter. We have strived to align our teaching and child management with the CBE system, ensuring all aspects of teaching are done in the right manner. "We are hopeful that they will join good senior schools and pursue career paths of their choice," said James Musyoki, the institution's director. Machakos County Kuppet deputy secretary general, Martin Mutisya, attributed the huge gap between private and public schools' performance in KJSEA to challenges in the work environment occasioned by a mismatch of work and qualification. "Many of our teachers are forced to teach subjects they are not qualified to teach, while in the majority of schools, there are no adequate facilities such as laboratories and libraries. The Junior secondary school teachers in Homa Bay County celebrated their candidates for good performance in the Kenya Junior Secondary School Education Assessment (KJSEA). In Rangwe Sub-County, one of the schools that recorded good results is Janeiro Junior Academy in Rangwe Sub-County. The school had 100 candidates who exceeded expectations out of all the 121 candidates who sat the examination. The School head teacher, Philip Aduda, expressed jubilation over his candidates' performance. Aduda attributed the performance to learners' discipline, hard work and co-operation between parents and teachers. "The co-operation between parents, teachers and learners alongside the conducive environment created by the school enabled us to make this achievement," Aduda said. He described the performance as a sign of success for his school in the competency-based education. "We thank God because this is a demonstration that our school is on the right track as far as competency-based education is concerned," Aduda said. At Kemba Comprehensive School in Ndhiwa Sub-county, 50 out of 53 candidates exceeded expectations in Mathematics, Integrated Science, CRE, Social Studies, Pre-technical Studies and Creative Arts. The school head teacher, Marcel Otieno, attributed the results to early completion of the syllabus and co-operation between teachers and students. "We ensured that our syllabus was completed by July to give our candidates ample time for revision. Parents also cooperated with us to ensure no student was sent home for school fees or any case of indiscipline," Otieno said. He said they will not relent on the teamwork in his school. St Gloria Junior Academy, Nyamonye in Siaya County, is celebrating strong performance in the inaugural Kenya Junior Secondary Examination (KJSEA) after months of deliberate preparation for the new curriculum-based system. School management says the results reflect early planning and sustained engagement with teachers, parents, and learners as the institution transitioned from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework. School manager Mr Dennis Odhiambo said the school began preparing for the new examination format well in advance, drawing lessons from its strong academic history under the previous system, where it posted a mean score of 399.42. "We knew this was a completely new system, so we invested heavily in teacher preparation, continuous assessment, and keeping parents informed about what the changes meant for their children," said Mr Odhiambo. He noted that teachers were trained to align teaching methods with competency-based assessment, while learners were exposed to regular evaluations to familiarise them with the new grading approach. With a candidature of 76 learners, 60 exceeded expectations, while the remaining 16 met expectations, underscoring the school's strong overall performance in the inaugural examination. Mr Odhiambo attributed the performance to teamwork among teachers, learners, and parents, saying constant communication helped demystify the new system. "This is a system that many parents are still struggling to understand. We made it a priority to keep them updated on assessment methods and learner progress," he said. Parents Association chairperson Mr Tedds Onguka said the school's preparedness played a key role in the outcome, praising the collaboration between parents and teachers throughout the transition period. "I would like to thank the teachers, parents, and candidates for their commitment. The way the school handled the transition shows that we are on the right path as the CBE reforms take shape," said Mr Onguka. He added that the new system allows schools to nurture learners' talents while still maintaining academic excellence. Candidates who spoke to The Standard credited structured support and consistent guidance from teachers and parents for their success. "It was through hard work and the support we received that I scored 71 points. I thank my teachers, my parents, and above all, God," said Rachael Adongo, a top performer. In Nyeri, Ndima Kanini Academy is celebrating outstanding results after 129 of its 159 candidates scored 63 points and above in this year's Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA). Among the top performers is Mary Gathii, who scored 8 points in all subjects. Gathii, a disciplined and focused learner, said she dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and hopes to join Kenya High School to further her academic journey. School Director Lincoln Njogu said the results reflect the commitment of both teachers and learners. He noted that the candidates were thoroughly prepared and that the school has continued to uphold a strong academic culture. "Our teachers worked closely with the students, and the results show their dedication. We are proud of the Class of 2024 for maintaining our tradition of excellence," Njogu said. The school says it aims to build on this success as it positions itself among Nyeri County's top-performing institutions. [Report by Lewis Nyaundi, Erastus Mulwa, James Omoro, Isaiah Gwengi and Amos Kiarie]

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