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CS Machogu to Criminalize Principals Attack by Parents Due to Poor KCSE Grades

CS Machogu to Criminalize Principals Attack by Parents Due to Poor KCSE Grades

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has cautioned that any attempt by parents or communities to forcibly remove school heads due to their children’s poor performance in national exams will be treated as a criminal act, invoking law enforcement measures.

The Ministry of Education will respond decisively to such invasions, considering them crimes.

Machogu emphasized the need for aggrieved stakeholders to follow legal channels for reporting perceived poor school performance in national examinations. His warning followed recent incidents in Uasin Gishu and Kakamega counties where parents physically confronted and expelled school principals.

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In Uasin Gishu’s Mafuta Secondary School, an irate mob of parents protested the low performance of the best KCSE candidate, who scored a mean Grade D+. The second-best student scored a D-, while the remaining candidates obtained a grade E.

The ensuing protests involved road blockades and demands for the removal of the Principal, holding him responsible for the school’s perceived failure.

Despite this, Machogu absolved school heads of blame for students’ poor performance, stressing that success in exams is a collective responsibility involving parents, teachers, and candidates. He expressed concern over the trend that unfairly places the burden solely on teachers, particularly the Head of Institution.

The Education Ministry and the Teachers Service Commission have established a comprehensive mechanism for evaluating teachers and field officers, ensuring non-performing staff are dealt with according to existing laws and policies, Machogu assured.

In Mumias, at St Gabriel Isongo Secondary School, parents, along with students, forcefully removed the school Principal from his office in an embarrassing incident, prompting the Principal to flee on a motorbike to escape the angry mob.

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Mumias East MP Peter Salasya asserted that school heads bear the responsibility for ensuring candidates perform well in national exams, emphasizing that parents have fulfilled their role by paying school fees.

Both the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association in Kakamega County and County Governor Fernandes Barasa condemned such incidents, aligning with Machogu’s perspective that a school’s performance reflects the collective effort of all stakeholders.

In the 2023 KCSE exams, only 22.27% of the 899,453 candidates achieved the minimum university entry qualification of Grade C+ and above. Notably, 58.27% scored D+ and above, while an unprecedented 5.33% scored E. Only 0.14% of candidates obtained an overall grade A, with national schools contributing significantly.

Machogu, while expressing disappointment at the results, directed the Directorate of Quality Assurance to investigate E Grade cases nationwide and submit a report within a month for further action.

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CS Machogu to Criminalize Principals Attack by Parents Due to Poor KCSE Grades

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