Why failure at KCPE exams should not worry you – A motivating true story

I schooled at Chereta Primary School in Muhotetu, Laikipia and it was a relatively good school (by performance). The schools was about 1.5 KMs from home, though I boarded from Class 6 to 8

It was almost the norm in the hood to board at Class 6 or 7, and almost a must in class 8; but some like akina Peter Nderitu Theuri were half boarders and half day schools, anyway they were the deep state of the school but akina John Ndiritu refused to board kabisa

It was a school that top candidates in KCPE could get as high as 590 marks or more from the possible 700 marks, and in previous years like 1995, the school was in the Top 50 nationally. Due to its performance, pupils would come from far as Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri, Nyahuru like akina Alice Nyiha etc.

In 1998 when I sat for my KCPE, I managed to get 422/700 (which should be roughly 301/500 in the current system); and the best candidate had 576 marks (if not mistaken) and I was ranked in the 40s from about 100 candidates; that was average performance for me.

I felt I had not done to my expectation, and wanted to “repeat” class 8, get about 500 marks and go to Nanyuki Boys, Ndururumo High Schools or even Nyeri High. These were my dream schools, and most of my peers. However, dad and mum were there to encourage me to proceed to high school. They had a fear I would repeat and get even “lower” marks than I had gotten

All said and done, I proceeded Ngumo Secondary School, a local secondary school (about 5 KMs from home) where I met my peers from the hood and mostly from neighboring primary schools.

In Secondary, my parents’ motivation was sufficient to keep me pushing and soaring. In 2002 when I sat for KCSE, I managed to get a B+ (I was the 2nd best in our class, a real transformation in just 4 years) and with a B+ I got a University Admission

I went to Maseno University and pursued BSc Applied Statistics, and I managed to get a 1st Class and also did an MSc (Statistics) for UoN thereafter

Currently, I consider myself successful in my profession, and I love what I do. I love data, am a Statistician, and this has contributed to my moderate life I live today with my family.

In 1998 when I was sitting for KCPE, I didn’t even have an idea of a Statistician. I only came to know about this profession after high school.

The rest is history.

What’s my point, the marks at Primary School that kids get shouldn’t break someone’s future. We have kids who got below 200, other with between 200 and 300, while others got between 300 and 400, and even others got more than 400.

The kids should be supported regardless of what marks they got. With 301 (equivalent), am sure no media house nor social media would have been interested then.

Those who feel they didn’t achieve to their expectations; there is still more ahead of them and can still achieve their aspirations (or even different aspiration from what they wish today); and those who achieved have a standard they have to maintain.

Beyond Primary School, there is Secondary School and more where one has an opportunity to even better his performance.