"Girls Shine in KCPE"

“Girls shine in KCPE” – yesterday’s Daily Nation headline announced the results of the test taken last November by “some 695,737 candidates (who) sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education” for kids completing Standard (Grade) Eight. “Monica …of … Mombasa, was the best student countrywide with 460 marks out of 500” on the test of eight papers covering English, Kiswahili, Social Studies, Religious Studies, Mathematics, and Science.

After all the good news, there was bad news as it was revealed that some candidates did not receive their scores due to cheating and other irregularities. Another concern was the “gender parity … (in) North Eastern (Province) where boys compromised 75 per cent of the candidates and girls only 25 per cent.”

“Girls shine…” also shared that although “About half of the candidates … scored 250 marks (50 per cent) and above … that does not mean they automatically qualify to join … the 6,400 secondary schools countrywide.” An article on page 13 of today’s Daily Nation explains that “200,000 pupils who sat this year’s national examination” will miss the opportunity to attend high school as existent public and private schools can only accommodate 70 per cent of those who took the exam. This report does not mention those who did not sit for the exam as they could not afford the fees, knew they would not do well, or had already dropped out of school for lack of fees, interest or the need to work. Some students who do not move on to high school will receive technical training, but the majority will have no more educational opportunities. And many of those who are accepted into a high school will not attend due to a lack of money for needed fees.

Please pray that those choosing which kids will be selected to national schools (with reduced fees) will be fair and wise. Pray that kids who are selected for admission to high schools will find the needed funds. Pray for the kids entering Standard Eight next week – kids who are already preparing for next year’s KCPE. Pray that their studies will not be interrupted by a feared teacher’s strike (teachers continue to receive very low salaries and poor work situations in Kenya). Pray for protection and opportunities for the children whose schooling in finished. Pray also for the educational situation in the pastoral areas, including the North Eastern Province, where too many children, especially girls, are denied an opportunity for education and a bright future. Bert Yates

(Prayer update also found at Omba4Kenya/Pray for Kenya)
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“Girls shine in KCPE” (Daily Nation, 12/31/08, pp.1,2) - http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/508980/-/u0q1pe/-/index.html
“Top marks for orphaned and displaced boy” (Daily Nation, 1/1/09, p.13) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/509272/-/u0qkij/-/index.html
“200,000 to miss places in public secondary schools” (Daily Nation, 12/31/08, p.13) – http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/508940/-/u0q1lu/-/index.html