• Girls performed better in English and Kiswahili while boys topped in Kenya sign language, mathematics, science and religious education.
• Magoha said the performance attained a gender parity of boys at 50.28 per cent and 49.72 per cent girls.
Image: BEN NDONGA
Boys and girls performed equally the same in the 2021 KCPE exams whose results were released on Monday.
However, girls were better in languages than boys.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said candidates who sat the exam attained gender parity of boys at 50.28 per cent and 49.72 per cent for girls.
A total of 1,214,031 candidates sat for the exams.
Magoha, however, said girls performed better in English and Kiswahili.
"As always, girls do better than boys," Magoha said.
He said male candidates did better in STEM subjects.
These are Kenya sign language, mathematics, science and religious education.
"We thank God the male child is beginning to come up," Magoha said.
He said although the overall mark dropped from 433 to 428, the overall performance improved compared to 2020.
"It is impressive that there was only a difference of three points between top the 14 candidates."
He said the mean average grade and quality of grades for all candidates were higher.
"Whereas 8,091 (0.68%) scored between 400 and 500 marks in 2020, the number increased to 11,857 which is 0.97 per cent in 2021," Magoha said.
"This is an indicator that most candidates scored better scores than the previous year," he added.
According to Magoha, 11,857 candidates scored between 400-500 while 315,275 candidates scored between 300-399.
He said 578,197 other candidates attained a score of between 200-299 marks.
Unlike in the 2020 exams where female candidates took eight of the slots, including the first three, the script changed in the 2021 exams where boys took eight of the top 14 slots.
The top candidate was Magata Bruce Mckenzie from Gilgil Hill Academy with 428 marks.
Momanyi Ashley Kerubo from, Makini School was second with 427 marks.
Six other candidates tied in the third position with 426 marks.
Among them were four girls and two boys.
These are Kwoma Charity Bunyanzi from Holy Family Misikhu, Mbugua Sharon Wairimu Muteti from Emmanuel Academy, Muteti Shantel Ndinda from Kitengela International School and Stanley Otieno Omondi from Finfield Junior Sec School.
Others are Wekesa Naomi from White Star Academy and Kimani Ethan Karuga from Stepping Stone Academy.
Six other candidates tied in the fourth position with 425 marks.
Five of the candidates were boys and just one girl.
These are Njeru Joel Junior Musyoka from Nyagwa primary, Kirinya Muriuki Victor from PCEA Boarding Primary and Diana Rose Natolo.
Others are Kaberia Emmanuel Munene, Emmanuel Kiplang'at Ngetich from Moi Primary School Kabarak and George Morris Otieno from Hill School.
The results were released on Monday at the Kenya National Examinations Council offices off Denis Pritt Road, Nairobi.
Magoha said 12 counties registered more females than males. In 2020, they were 20 counties.
Six papers improved performance.
English composition, Kiswahili Lugha, Kenya sign language composition, science and social studies.
Three papers dropped in performance - Mathematics, English Language and religious education.
Kenya sign language recorded a comparable performance with the 2020 results.
A total of 1,214,031 candidates sat the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams.
During the 2020 KCPE, public schools performed better than private schools.
Public schools scooped 10 of the top 15 slots in the 2020 exams.
Female candidates took eight of the slots, including the first three.
The first four candidates were all from public schools.
In the 2020 exams, five papers recorded improvement: English composition, Kiswahili Lugha, Kenya sign language, mathematics and religious education.
Five subjects dropped: English language, Kiswahili Insha, Kenya sign language composition, science and social studies.
Girls did better in English, Kiswahili and the Kenya sign language.
Boys did better in mathematics, science, social studies and religious education.
In the 2019 exams, female candidates excelled in English, Kiswahili and Sign Language compared to their male counterparts who dominated in Maths, Science and Social Studies.
ADMINISTRATION OF 2021 KCPE EXAMS
A multi-agency team of 174,910 professionals were involved in overseeing the exams.
They were drawn from the ministries of Interior and Education, the Teachers Service Commission and other government agencies.
Among the professionals, the Kenya National Examination Council utilized the services of 5,567 to mark composition and Insha answer sheets.
All the other subjects were marked using machine scoring technique.
KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njeg’ere said some 4,970 centre managers were in charge of 6,863 exam centres that had less than 30 candidates.
Basic Education Permanent Secretary Julius Jwan thanked the examiners and teachers for their selfless work in delivering the examination.
“We had a very tight year which was quite compact and required a lot of commitment,” Jwan said.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia also thanked the teachers for their utmost commitment to delivering credible exams.
“We will recognize and reward those who excelled in the exercise,” Macharia said.
She however warned that TSC will act firmly against those who will be confirmed to have been involved in exam malpractices.
“We will not allow a few teachers to mar the good name of the teaching service,” Macharia said.