Private schools outshine public in Kajiado

Teachers and parents at Orchard School in Kitengela Kajiado county, cerebrate with Riamet Faith Naserian, who scored 420 marks during the KCPE exam that was announced yesterday. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Private schools in Kajiado county shined public institutions in last year's KCPE exams.

Some of previous academic giants fell as the last KCPE came to an end.

In Kitengela town, three public schools performed dismally with no student attaining 400 marks.

However, Orchard school, Lakewood Schools, Milimani Academy and Acacia schools produced the top candidates with 420 marks.

Teachers and candidates attributed the success to hard work and determination.

''Our pupils have been working very had to attain this marks, we are very grateful to them for working extra hours in their education'' said Hilda Mutua a director at Milimani Academy school in Kitengela.

Kitengela international school, which has been leading in academic in the county, failed to post good grades for the second year in a row.

The top candidates in the previous years academic giant scored 358 marks to the chagrin of parents.

''We cannot understand what is happening to our school. We have been leading in this county but as it is now, we are dropping,'' said Samson Waiyaki a parent.

Parents and teachers at Milimani Academy Kitengela celebrate with Cyril Mwendwa who managed to score 420 marks during the KCPE announced on Thursday. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Wahome Thuku, a journalist and advocate who has been a parent at the school says all is not well.

Thuku in his argument said that pupils who were pulled out of the school and registered at different exam centres at the last minute had produced better results.

"I have been a parent at Kitengela International, one of the biggest private schools in Kenya for over 12 years. I know that school too well. Two years ago, more than half of the candidates scored over 400 marks in KCPE. We are talking of more than 50 pupils," said Mr. Thuku.

He added: "This year, the top student has scored 353 marks. Same as last year. This year the exam was administered with top level supervision. Interestingly, every other school in Kitengela has more than seven candidates with 400 and above."

After the release of the 2022 KCPE exams, Kitengela International Schools rejected the results for its students and argued that they did not reflect previous performance.

The school then launched a protest with the Kenya National Examinations Council.

Thuku added that in the next door school of the same called Acacia, 37 students have 400 marks and above, 48 have scored between 350 and 399, only five have between 279 and 349.

Our efforts to reach the head teacher and the management were fruitless as they were said to be in a crucial meeting to discus the matter.