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At least 74 per cent of candidates who sat for the Kenya certificate of primary education (KCPE) scored below 300 marks presenting a worrying trend.
This means out of the total 1,233,852 candidates who sat for the 2022 examination only 317,199 scored between 300-413 marks.
This according to Education cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu was, however, an improvement in the overall performance as compared to the previous year.
Machogu cited the effects of Covid-19 which he noted disrupted the learning calendar forcing the government to run a “heavily constricted and reorganised calendar in a spirited attempt to restore the normal term dates”.
“Since the country experienced the Covid-19 pandemic which occasioned a prolonged closure of schools, the government has been running a heavily constricted and reorganized calendar in a spirited attempt to restore the normal term dates.”
The reorganisation of school dates, he noted, came at a heavy cost to parents in terms of pressure to clear school fees within short intervals.
Machogu added that while teachers had heavy workloads, learners were forced to cover more content within a short time.
“I wish to particularly single out the 2022 cohort…they have managed to cover the grade 8 calendar in just six months having joined in June 2022,” the CS observed.
Meanwhile, Bungoma has for the second year in a row recorded the highest number of candidates below 12 years at 2,819 while Kakamega topped with the most number of those over 18 years at 4,947
Other counties with the highest number of underage are Kisii (1,938), Bomet (1,841), Kericho (1,838), Baringo (1,306), Migori (1,518), Homabay (1,431) and Nyamira (1,040).
But the number, Machogu said, dropped as compared to 2021 from 33,627 to 31,498.
“This indicates the parents and schools are on the right path of enrolling children in school at the right age,” he stated.
Other counties that recorded the largest number of candidates above 18 years are Turkana (3,969), Busia (2,733), Garissa (2,385), Bungoma (2,369), Nandi (1,890), Narok (1,632), Nairobi (1,410), Nakuru (1,217), Kisumu (1,793), Kisii (1,369) and Vihiga (1,171).
In the 2022 results, those that sat for the examination in the hospital reduced from 166 to 147.
Homabay had the highest number of 10 followed by Migori, Busia, Narok, Bungoma, Kakamega and Nakuru.
The counties with the highest cases in the last results were Kakamega (17) and Homabay (16).
The affected candidates were either delivering or suffering other ailments.
Statistics from the Ministry of Education reveal that 10,483 candidates failed to sit for their examination as compared to 11,523 candidates last year. BY THE STAR