This archive report was first published on 7 December 2019.
Published on December 7, 2019, by Faith Onyeyanwu, a renowned author, the article highlights the troubling trend of placing a high value on admission to top schools.
Two contrasting headlines in local dailies last week showcased the issue: 'Old giants scoop top KCPE stars' and 'Pain as top students miss dream schools.'
According to the Daily Nation, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha revealed that the ministry had placed 30,000 candidates in schools they had not chosen due to a lack of schools in certain counties and a preference for the 18 top schools.
Magoha urged parents, guardians, and teachers to work closely with candidates during the selection process to ensure they make the right choices.
However, many parents and guardians are products of a broken system that may have stripped them of their dignity and imagination, making it challenging for them to guide their children.
Some parents took to social media to express their disappointment with the schools their children had been called to, with one parent questioning how their child who scored over 400 marks could be called to a 'dingy, unremarkable school.'
While it's natural for parents to believe their child deserves the best, the truth is that academic excellence exists within every child, not just behind the walls of elite schools.
Instead of placing pressure on candidates to be admitted to top schools, parents should focus on relieving their children of the expectation and letting them know that academic excellence is within them.
