Private schools cheating their way to the top exposed

New Light Junior Academy in Komarock. [PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO/Standard]

Private schools indicted by the Ministry of Education for employing dirty tricks to get top ranking in national examinations have been named.

The list obtained by The Standard on Sunday shows the schools have dominated top positions, posting higher mean grades each new year.

A quick analysis of the just-released results reveals that the same schools produced the top candidates in the 2016 KCPE examination.

The schools admit many students but register candidates in separate examination centres based on their performance to boost ranking and attract more students. Educationists say the segregation of students on the basis of academic ability creates the impression that they are centres of excellence and students are guaranteed success in exams.

While not illegal, it undermines and destroys the spirit of education: to nurture and stimulate young minds without undue pressure or competition.

Yesterday, the Kenya National examination Council chairman George Magoha, said schools will not be allowed to register multiple centres for examination next year.

“Such centres exist solely for the purpose of examination. They will not be allowed to register candidates next year unless they present all their candidates together,” Prof Magoha said.

This year, Makini School (Ngong Road Academy) posted a mean score of 419 to emerge top nationally, beating 26,000 other schools.

This centre registered only 21 candidates. In the 2015 KCPE results, this centre registered 21 candidates and posted a mean score of 412 to emerge fourth nationally.

Details seen by The Standard on Sunday show that New Light Academy in Komarock (Nairobi, Embakasi sub-county), posted a mean score of 410 and was second nationally. The centre registered only 21 candidates.

During last year’s KCPE, New Light was ranked position two nationally with a mean score of 424. The school had only registered 22 candidates.

Gilgil Hills Academy, which registered 23 candidates, has posted a mean score of 405 and is third nationally. Last year, the school was sixth nationally with a mean score of 419 and had 22 candidates.

Lizar Junior School in Naivasha, which registered 70 candidates, posted a mean score of 404 to scoop fourth position nationally. The school did not make it to top 10 list last year.

Closing the top five schools list nationally is Marell Academy (Bungoma South sub-county), which produced the fourth best candidate with 434 marks. The school registered only 22 candidates this year and posted a mean score of 402.

Also tying in position five is Chelsa Academy (Bomet), which registered 25 candidates last year and posted a mean score of 414 to emerge number seven. This year, the academy registered 28 candidates and tied in position five with Marell.

While releasing the 2016 KCPE results on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the Ministry was aware of underhand schemes employed by some private schools to promote their institutions.

He said some schools admit hundreds of students but register multiple centres with bright candidates enrolled separately from the weaker ones. “These schools register weaker pupils at sister “satellite” examination centres so as not to bring down the mean scores of their main “marketing” schools,” Dr Matiang’i said.

Fred’s Academy (Imenti North), which also produced the fourth best candidate this year, only registered 44 candidates and posted a mean score of 400 to emerge number seven nationally.

Last year, the school registered 39 candidates and posted a mean score of 423 to emerge position three.

Fred’s has tied in position seven with Al-Ansaaru Nursery and Primary School of Kamukunji (Nairobi). The latter registered 24 candidates and posted a mean score of 400. Last year, Al-Ansaaru registered 20 candidates and posted a mean score of 414 to emerge number seven.

Closing the top ten best performing schools this year are Precious Hope School (Kisii South) and Highrise Academy (Bureti). Some 22 candidates sat the 2016 KCPE at the Precious Hope School and posted a mean score of 399 to scoop position nine.

Highrise presented 16 candidates for this year’s examinations and registered a mean score of 398 to appear among the top 10 schools nationally.

Other schools that registered low number of candidates in 2015 KCPE are Elimu Academy (Kisii Central) and Momokoro (Kuria West). In last year’s examinations, the two schools were in positions nine and ten respectively.

Peter Ndoro, the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) chief executive officer, yesterday said they support closure of satellite centres.

He said a meeting with Matiang’i resolved to crack down such illegal centres and stop  the rot.

The CS said investigations by the ministry show that such schools register a small number of candidates to maintain visibility in the national examination results roll. “We have discovered that the majority of these schools that offload “weaker” pupils usually have a small candidature of between 20 and 30 of their best. These abnormal centres are the ones that top charts whenever schools are ranked,” Matiang’i said.

An analysis of the top 10 schools in 2015 and 2016 reveal that private schools register as few as 16 candidates.