Pain of parents whose kids can only score Ds

Kiambu leaders have joined residents in decrying the poor scores in KCSE exams of recent years. 

They say many students are getting grade D, which "can't take them anywhere", and instead condemns them to casual labour.

Cleric Kamau Nyota said parents feel let down after investing so much of their effort, time and resources into their children's education, only for them to fail. "It's a mockery of exams," he said.  

Lari MP Jonah Mburu and his Limuru counterpart Peter Mwathi urged the government to join county leaders in finding a solution.  

"We've done all we can, including motivation, yet our students still perform badly," Mburu said.

Mwathi said the county had been leading in national exams about 20 years ago. Today, only national schools from the county record good results, he said.

The legislator wants top performers in KCPE exams admitted to national schools. Mwathi said many pupils face discrimination because they score good grades but only a few of them get the chance to join national schools.

He urged the government to set up one stream in the national schools for local learners who perform well in primary education.

“We don't want to see national schools in our constituencies, but only one or two students are from this county. Whenever there is an emergency, these schools rush to MPs and the governor for assistance. We need to feel part and parcel of them,” Mwathi said.

“By so doing, the pupils in primary schools will start working hard to get slots and in the process, good grades will be realised.” 

Parents say the failure rate is worrying and must be fixed urgently.  

County Parents Association chairman Samuel Wanjema said more than 70 per cent of students who sat KCSE had D+ and below.

“This is so discouraging to parents. In some schools, the best students scored D+ and even a D plain,” he said.  

“Every parent's dream is to see their children perform well in class. They feel a lot of pain when their children fail the most crucial exams.”