Teachers Strike, High Fees Top Among Reasons for Dismal KCSE 2024 Performance

A section of school principals in Thika have blamed the numerous teacher strikes and expensive school fees for the overwhelming failure of students in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

KCSE students are required to attain a minimum grade of C+ (plus) to be eligible for direct university admission. 

In the 2024 KCSE exams, a total of 712,537 students did not attain the minimum grade of C+ plus with only 246,391 securing direct university admission. A figure that represents only 25.5 per cent.

While these students will be absorbed by TVETs, the question still begs, why do most of these students fail to attain the minimum direct university requirement?

Well, according to the teachers in Thika, the numerous teacher strikes play a big role in this failure.

“When we have the teacher’s strikes, mostly students are left alone, with minimal teaching going on, this is a very costly challenge that affects the results,” James Gitau, MP Shah Chania High School Principal, said.

Thika Karibaribi Girls High School Principal Faith Mwarama has faulted the high school fees challenge, and the delays in capitation disbursement, leaving schools to struggle in buying equipment needed for studying and facilitating better results.

“The fee arrears are a big challenge to the students. They are mostly at home due to the arrears. Secondly, the delayed disbursement of capitation affects the school’s ability to buy materials needed for practicals, all these are reasons for the poor performance,” Mwarama explained.

Thika High School’s principal challenged the government to ensure timely disbursement of the capitation funds and NG-CDF funds that are mostly used to help needy students and keep them in school.

The principal called for a strategic plan with the bursaries so that students may stay longer in school and schools can be able to finance the materials needed to prepare for exams promptly.

In 2024 alone, schools witnessed numerous strikes with teachers demanding that the government uphold the Collective Bargaining Agreement they signed. Teachers also protested for better pay, delayed promotions, better working conditions, better career progress, and Junior Secondary transition.

Already, the Ministry of Education delayed the disbursement of the 2025 capitation, threatening the stay of students in schools.

To improve the percentage of students getting the direct entry mark, the ministry has been advised to tighten the loopholes in the sector.