More candidates attained an E grade in the 2023 KCSE examinations as compared to the previous year.
Speaking in Eldoret during the release of the results of the exams, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said a total of 48,174 candidates got an E grade in last year's examinations.
This is a significant increase from the 30,822 candidates who attained that grade in 2022, translating to a 56 per cent increase, indicating potential challenges or shifts in the educational landscape that need immediate attention.
“Compared to the previous year, we have observed a significant uptick in the number of students securing an E grade," Machogu said while pointing out the need for comprehensive educational reforms and support mechanisms to address this issue.
Machogu also noted that the academic landscape saw fluctuations in subject performance. He said 11 subjects, including mathematics, witnessed improvements in scores.
However, a decline in performance was witnessed in English and History, signaling areas that might need further attention and intervention.
Delving deeper into the nuances of the examination, Machogu pointed out a concerning trend regarding the timing of the exams.
He noted that subjects conducted in the afternoon exhibited a decline in performance, suggesting a potential lack of early exposure or preparation for students compared to previous years.
Further analysis of the results revealed that 201,133 students achieved grades of C+ and above, out of which 1,216 attained the coveted A grade, marking a slight increase from the 1,146 students who scored that grade in 2022.
National schools produced the highest number of A grades, with 889 students while Extra-county schools followed with 172 As.
Last year, Machogu announced that the Ministry of Education was exploring discontinuing the use of SMS service to check national examination results.
This was after errors were witnessed during the release of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.
