Sharp drop in KCSE 2016 performance as only 141 score A, down from 2,636 in 2015

There was a sharp drop in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations (KCSE) performance this year, with only 141 scoring straight As – down from 2,636 in 2015.

Speaking when he officially released this year’s KCSE examinations at Shimo la Tewa High School in Mombasa County, Education CS Fred Matiang’i noted that from 577,079 candidates who sat this year’s KSCE exam only 15.4 percent (88,929 candidates) scored between A and C+.

Commenting on the shocking dip in performance, Matiang’i said that – thanks to the strict regulations rolled out this year – no case of exam irregularity was registered or detected.

“We have been strict in the manner in which we have marked this exam,” he said adding: “…this time there was no cheating and monkey business.”

Unlike previous years where results were released three months after exams were done, marking of the KCSE 2016 papers was expedited – a practice that the education CS said will be adopted henceforth.

“The irresponsibility of which we have worked before where we keep exams for three months and engage in monkey business has to stop. We examine our children and give results within a month,” said Matiang’i

In his address, the CS also noted that of the top 20 students in the country, 16 of them were girls.

A total of 4,645 students scored an A- while 20,975 attained a B+.

VIDEO: 141 candidates scored straight As, Education CS Matiang’i says #KCSE2016 pic.twitter.com/QPzu2OWNZa

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) December 29, 2016

While castigating the schools that were deemed to produce a lot of the A grade in the past, the CS was keen to note that among the schools that have portrayed honesty and consistency was Alliance High school and Kenya High school.

While acknowledging there are still challenges with supervision, the CS moved to assure the country that there is room for improvement, pledging further improvements in coming years.

“We cannot afford to make a mistake where it involves the lives of our children,”said Matiang’i

Abolishing index numbers  

In an earlier circular to newsrooms, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that he had directed the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to cease the use of index numbers.

We will get rid of index numbers, have student registration numbers instead for use throughout the education system ~ CS Matiangi #KCSE2016 pic.twitter.com/V3R9OUUunv

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) December 29, 2016

The CS echoed these remarks, adding that students will instead be issued with Student Registration Number to be used from Class One to university level – a move that is aimed at streamlining collection and management of education data.

The students are now required to send in their index number to the short code- 22252 to get their results.