ADVERTISEMENT Discipline, teamwork, completing the syllabus early and creating sufficient time for revision were among the top reasons that principals of new giants cited for their improved performance, which led them to upset perennial giants in KCSE rankings released on Monday. Other reasons included character formation, involving teachers and parents in student welfare, a strong religious foundation and prayer. A few schools also improved their in ranking after they were elevated from provincial to national schools. A case in point is Nakuru Girls High School, which was ranked 27th best nationally, and which had 13 students in the list of top 100 performers. The school had not appeared in the top 100 before it was hived off Nakuru High School, a former provincial school. Other emerging giants in the county were Molo Academy and Anestar Boys High School Lanet, which were ranked sixth and 14th respectively among the top 100 schools. The proprietor of Anestar Boys, Mrs Anne Njeri Gatimuhe said: “We make sure the boys know that they cannot separate discipline in their academic and social lives and good grades.” In Western Kenya, Chavakali Boys in Vihiga County and Kapsabet Boys in Nandi County also made it to the top 10. GREAT DEDICATION Chavakali High School leaped 46 positions to rank as the eighth best performer. It was elevated to a national school only two years ago. One of its candidates was the sixth best in the country. The principal, Mr Indimuli Kahi, attributed the improvement to “great dedication and discipline” among students and staff, adding: “Maintaining the position will require extra hard work, especially since the initial top schools are ready to fight back.” Another school that pulled a surprisingly sterling performance was St Joseph’s Rapogi Secondary School in Migori County, which was among top 50 schools nationally. This represented a jump of more than 30 places considering it was ranked at number 81 in 2012. Maseno School, which was 14th best in 2012, also made a comeback and in 2013, it was fifth countrywide. The school principal, Mr Paul Otula, said the students and teachers had worked extra hard to earn a place at the top and vowed to improve the performance further next year. “My students were also very close to their teachers—a culture we have engraved in our academic system,” he said. Kabarnet High School also upset perennial academic giants like Kapropita Girls and Tabagon Girls to be ranked the best public school in Baringo County. The school, which had 197 candidates, posted a mean grade of 8.375 with two candidates scoring straight As while 14 others scored A- (minus). The principal, Mr Julius Mambili, attributed the good results to co-operation between parents and teachers. “We also cultivate the culture of hard work among our students and make sure that we clear the syllabus early so that we can dedicate the second term for revision,” he said. Sacho High School, a private institution also in Baringo, also performed well, producing the best student in the county. The school, which had 153 candidates in 2013, had six candidates scoring straight As, while 35 others scored A- (minus). Its best candidate, Calvin Mochoge Otao, was also number one in the county. Principal Richard Moindi said the results did not come as a surprise as they had prepared adequately for the exam. “We have always encouraged discipline and character building among our students, coupled with a strong religious foundation. There is also teamwork and co-operation between teachers and parents,” he said. THANKS BE TO GOD In Trans-Nzoia, St Anthony’s High School Kitale beat national schools in the area to be the best in the region. The school registered a mean grade of 10.5 with 39 students scoring A plain, 106 getting A minus, 49 getting B plus, another 30 getting B, eight with B minus and five with C plus. The schools was number one in physics countrywide. “I attribute the good results to disciplined students, co-operation between teachers and parents and prayers,” the principal, Mr Cosmus Nabungolo said. In Central Kenya, Mary Hill High School trounced traditional giants to grab the best girl school title in Kiambu County. The school beat Alliance Girls High, among others, to earn the best girl school rating in the region and the second best girls’ school nationally in last year’s KCSE. It also performed better than other perennial giants like Mang’u High School, leaping from position 15 nationally last year to nine this year. Fifty of its candidates scored straight A’s, with the top girl, Nancy Kahuno, getting a mean score of 88.77. The principal, Ms Imelda Baraza, attributed the success to hard work by teachers, discipline among students and commitment and co-operation from board of governors and parents. “We also thank God for the good performance, which could not be possible without our trust in Him,” she said. The new academic giant emerged the second national girls’ secondary school after Precious Blood Riruta, fifth among the national schools and ninth overall. In the Eastern region, Mukaa High School was among the top performers. When Principal Francis Mutua took over the institution four years ago, he had to tackle high cases of indiscipline. He invested his efforts in the students who were in Form One then. And this week the class did not disappoint as it produced one of the best KCSE results in Makueni County. The principal said a school’s administration contributes a lot to its discipline and performance. “When I came, we had issues of discipline to tackle; our mean score was below seven, but I knew the school had the capacity to perform better,” he said. At Miathene Boys High in Meru, which was ranked among the best county schools nationally, principal Kiringo M’Eringo said the involvement of all education players in the institution was the key to success, as was discipline and co-operation between students and teachers. “We thank God for this,” Mr M’Eringo said. Reported by Muchemi Wachira, Verah Okeyo, Anita Chepkoech, Wycliff Kipsang, Moses Odhiambo, Barnabas Bii, Wycliff Kipsang, Philip Bwayo, Philemon Suter, Tom Matoke, Bob Odalo, Kennedy Kimanthi and Stellar Murumba
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:34:55 +0000