Why Kenyan schools are shifting focus beyond exam results

Students at Crawford International School during a learning session. The school uses the Cambridge curriculum alongside other learning frameworks to develop critical thinking and skills for further education and careers.

Kenyan schools are shifting their focus from exam performance to preparing students for universities and workplaces beyond the country as they seek to equip graduates with skills to compete in a global market.

The change is putting greater emphasis on early career guidance, critical thinking and independent learning, with schools beginning to prepare students for their next steps several years before they complete secondary education.

Rather than waiting until the final years of school to identify academic weaknesses or make career choices, the approach encourages schools to track students' progress from the early stages of secondary education and use the results to guide subject selection.

Early academic benchmarks can help teachers identify gaps in learning and give students more time to strengthen areas where they struggle. The approach also gives students time to develop academic and extracurricular profiles that can support applications to universities with competitive admission requirements.

Amanda Birkenstock, executive principal at Crawford International School, says schools should move beyond an approach that places examinations at the centre of a student's education and give greater attention to mentorship and independent learning.

“Schools must pivot toward continuous teacher mentorship and independent execution,” said Birkenstock. “Fostering individual agency and critical analysis ensures that Kenyan graduates possess the academic resilience to thrive in foreign environments without experiencing transitional shock.”

The approach also seeks to help students adapt to different academic environments by developing their ability to analyse information, solve problems and work independently rather than relying on memorisation.

Strong grades remain important for university applications but schools are increasingly looking at how students apply their knowledge and demonstrate skills beyond examinations.

Crawford's 2026 Cambridge Assessment International Education results provide an example of the approach, with the school recording a 93 per cent proficiency rate among students in its Year 9 benchmarks.

The school also recorded a 90 per cent principal pass rate of A* to C among its recent International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) cohort and a 64.4 per cent pass rate at A-Level.

The school reported that 95 per cent of its graduates secured university placements, with students joining institutions in more than 120 destinations across the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Asia.

The figures come as schools seek to prepare students for opportunities that extend beyond the local education system and require them to compete for places in universities and workplaces across different countries.

For students, the earlier approach means career and university preparation can begin years before graduation, giving them more time to identify their strengths, address academic gaps and develop the skills required for their chosen paths.