Bright or not, give yourself a chance

It is saddening to learn students still contemplate committing suicide for failing to attain top grades in national exams.

This can be partly attributed to high societal expectations from candidates who feel disappointed once they fail to achieve the expectations. Once results are out, as we embark on celebrating top candidates for working hard, a blame game ensues over who should take responsibility for poor performance among the rest of candidates. Unfortunately, it is the teachers and learners who received the largest share of the blame; parents, politicians and school sponsors hardly take responsibility for poor performance.

However, one thing we must understand is that exam is not a life and death matter. There is no point of ending one’s precious life due to poor results. Your students should realise there is something they can do better in. They possess at least some strength in one or another area. They only need to identify the area and run with it. Anyone can still rise from where he or she has fallen. The late Njenga Karume is a good example in this: With very little education, he still excelled in what he could do best, entrepreneurship.

Needless to say, all students are unique and possess innate abilities that can never be captured by any single exam like KCPE or KCSE. There are students who are predominantly visual learners, who can read ahead of teachers, revising their work independently and, in effect, perform well. On the contrary, other students although brilliant, lack self-drive and wait to be pushed by the teachers who know their potential to squeeze the excellent grades out of them.

Exams vs the future

There is another category of students who are gifted and talented in music, drama and sports, but are not as gifted in class work. We have a host of examples in this category in Kenya and world over. Indeed talent, be it musical or sport, spiced with academic achievement is great gain, no doubt. Paradoxically, there are serious scholars who are at the apex of scholarship but can barely make ends meet. Any wonder that many top-notch corporate organisations or businesses are owned by people who never made good grades in schools but who employ top-cream academicians?

Agreeably, exams are good, and good performance in exams can open many doors for an individual. However, exams can never test all one knows. Our biggest undoing is that we are only keen to only reward good performance in written tests. It is time we began acknowledging talents and great performance in all fields.

As a teacher, I have known a few intellectually not-so-gifted students who work harder than the top students. They are enviably disciplined, ever smart and tidy, perform exceptionally well in outdoor activities, but never manage to get above the bottom ten in any exam. I always encourage such students to never give up. Such students ought to work on their strengths and stir up the gifting in them. There is something precious in them that no exam can ever sum up. They should not allow the limitations the exam sets to dictate what sort of future they will have. Yes, exams help in deciding who proceeds to which level of education or who gets what quality of certificate, but the exam never decides the future for anyone.

It is time we appreciated our grades whether high or low. It is time to think out of the box and be inventory. Isn’t it amazing to learn that Coca Cola Company has no known orange, blackcurrant or pineapple plantations yet give the world soft drinks in these flavours?

Again, guess what, the late Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, Manu Chandaria, Billy Graham, Reinhardt Bonnke, David Rudisha, the late Steve Jobs, Usain Bolt, Venus and Serena Williams were not at the top of their classes, but have left footprints on this world using the strength they were much endowed with. As an average or below average student, you can still come up with an invention that can change the world for the better irrespective of quality of certificate you hold.

{Teacher Carolyne Nyangor, Eldoret}

I believe the Kenya National Examinations Council boss Paul Wasanga is either a man under siege, or at the mercy of cartel he cannot control that is out to sabotage him, or is a willing participant to the many malpractices in national exams.

During last year’s KCSE exams, there were rumours of real exam papers on sale for as little as Sh1,000 for a paper or two. Some of us, who are genuine and believe in our abilities, ignored the overtures and concentrated on honest preparation of candidates. However, it came to pass these were actually true papers as recipients did confess later.

{Kombwayo S O A, Mumias}

Do not bow to matatu operators’ tricks

Two years ago, the Government issued a notice it would no longer license 14-seater matatus. The operators were given a grace period of seven years. This, they didn’t oppose. Even, Matatu Owners Association welcomed the move. However, now after realising time is catching up with them, they are at it. And, this being an election year, they have crafted ways of arm-twisting the Government to agree into their demands.

For instance, recently the Mt Kenya region matatu operators sought audience with Premier Raila Odinga in bid to have the decision rescinded. I urge Raila to ignore the demands and avoid a mistake President Kibaki did during 2007 election campaigns. Perhaps, in desperation, Kibaki issued orders that contradicted his Government polices when matatu crews wanted to stop wearing uniforms. Raila and the Government must not fall to the tricks of this group, this time round.

Streamline sector

The government must not be cowed by those who threaten to go on strike because even when they did so in 2004, Kenyans were willing to trek long distances to a rowdy sector streamlined. History can still repeat itself, for a good cause.

There is no gain without pain. The matatu industry should be ran by operators willing to invest.

Going by economies of scale, running a 14-seater matatu under the current economic conditions is not very profitable. Thus for operators to stay afloat, they inflate fares to the disadvantage of ordinary citizens. Therefore, the Government decision is for the good of citizens.

Matatu operators have proved to be not only masters of deceit, but are also known to resist any change aimed at streamlining the industry. Remember, they also opposed ‘Michuki Rules’ that were meant to save lives on our roads!

And as 14-seater matatu operators seek to cut deals with politicians, they must know they are hunting for votes and they never ride on matatus. Soon the deals will be obsolete!

If the 14-seater matatus are willing to go on strike, the Government should cheer them on. The Government must do whatever it takes to tame these operators and protect millions of Kenyans who commute on matatus. Politics aside, this is a matter of national importance.

{Wanyoike G, Muranga Commuter}