Getting an E or D is not failure, education experts tell learners

Candidates sitting this year’s national examinations may have to double their efforts to score better grades after a new Government report revealed declining performance in the tests.[File, Standard]

Students who scored grade Ds and E have been told to shun the mentality that they are failures whose academic journeys have ended.

This message emerged during the Ndhiwa Annual Career Guidance Day organised for hundreds of form four leavers in Ndhiwa Constituency.

The event brought together youth who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams last year.

It became evident that getting an E or a D is not a failure in an academic journey.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director Charles Ong’ondo and former Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Jwan expressed concerns that some students who scored grades E or D consider themselves as people who have failed in life.

Speaking during a sensitisation session in Ndhiwa Town, Dr Jwan said getting an E or a D should be perceived as the beginning of another academic journey. He said such students can enroll for various courses from an artisan and proceed to higher degrees.

Dr Jwan, who organised the event, said every learner has a talent, allowing them to progress academically.

“We are telling our youth that everybody has an opportunity in life, whether they get an E or a D. Let our youth not give up because they have the opportunity to get PhDs even if they scored an E in KCSE,” Dr Jwan said.

The event was intended to enable the youth to choose careers and also know the sources of money that can fund their education in tertiary and university education.

Prof Ong’ondo said it was important to get information on the link between what they learned in basic education and what they should expect in higher education.

“It is important for our learners to understand the link between what they did in basic education and what is offered at tertiary institutions and universities. Our youth highly need career guidance,” Prof Ong’ondo said.

He challenged elites in communities to offer youth career guidance to enable the future generations to succeed academically.

“Let us go back to our communities and sensitise our young people on careers. This event is very important as it provides information to our young people,” Prof Ong’ondo said.

The Deputy Chairman of the Interfaith Council in Homa Bay County, Peter Midodo, said the career guidance will boost the number of youth with higher education in Ndhiwa Constituency.

“This programme is going to transform lives in Ndhiwa Sub-county because many youth fail to get higher education because they lack information about it,” Bishop Midodo said.