Influence of Home and School Environment on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Performance in Siakago Division Kenya

Abstract

Through the years an attempt has been made to continuously review the Kenyan education system to ensure that it serves and satisfies the aspirations of the youth as well as cater for the interests of national development. The transition from one level of education to the next is characterized by competitive national examinations, which are sat at the end of each cycle of the educational system. The KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations are done at the forth form of secondary school education. (Mwiria, 1991). In the colonial era, examinations were part and parcel of the restrictive machinery used by the colonial authorities to deny Africans formal education. The examination known as the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) was administered at the end of the forth year of primary school and the Kenya African Preliminary Examinations (KAPE), for those who wished to join secondary school. As eliminating devices, these examinations were very successful. Out of classes of thirty and more, it was not unusual to see only one or two students pass and qualify to proceed to the next level. The performance by African candidates in other examinations such as the secondary school examination was also fairly discouraging as many did not pass. (Mwiria,1991)

Failure in examinations greatly slowed the growth of African secondary school education. Thus until 1940, there were only two secondary schools for Africans -the Alliance High School and St. John Kabaa, started in 1926 and 1930 respectively (Kivuitu and Chenge, 2004). By 1945 there were only four secondary schools for Africans. While it is difficult to argue against the contention that in the absence of other devices, which may be perceived by the public to be fairer than selection examinations, examinations are by far the most objective mechanism of selecting those who proceed to the next level of schooling or receive given societal rewards.

The grading for the KCSE examinations is on the 12-point grade A to E. See Table 1.1 on Grade Point Average. The highest scorer is awarded grade A while the lowest acquires grade E.