We need concrete measures to elevate our education and health standards

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi (centre) with the ministry's Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang (left) and Kenya National Examinations Council CEO Joseph Kivilu during the release of the 2014 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results at Mitihani House, Nairobi on December 29, 2014. PHOTO | JENNIFER MUIRURI |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• I would still like, as a parent and journalist, information that would help me analyse performances and make my own judgements.
• I now suspect that the main reason for hiding the examination results is not just to discourage cheating, but to hide the growing gulf between public and private schools.

By MACHARIA GAITHO
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It has become an established ritual over the years that the Cabinet secretary for Education receives a gift-wrapped Christmas and New Year present at an elaborate televised ceremony.

What the minister gets in the package is not a bottle of the priciest 18-year-old single malt whisky from the Scottish Highlands, nor a selection of the choicest wines from Bordeaux, Champagne, Franschhoek, Napa Valley, or Piedmont. Not even a box of Belgian chocolates or Cuban cigars.

What he finds on unwrapping the gift box is reams and reams of national school examination results. Why the data has to be gift-wrapped with tender loving care and presented at such a major ceremony broadcast on live television across the country has always baffled me.

It is one of those peculiar Kenyan habits that seem to defy both rhyme and reason, but nevertheless holds the country to rapt attention, capturing national eyes and ears to a degree only rivalled by the General Election every five years.

This time round, though, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Jacob Kaimenyi, did things very differently.

What he released was not the usual tables of the best performing candidate and schools, but bland data and policy statements that totally missed the human interest angle.

The idea was to do away with the school rankings that usually dominate news and analysis.

The rationale, prescribed by the Kilemi Mwiria task force was that intense competition by schools eyeing the top positions directly encouraged organised cheating.

Another reason is that the examination league tables provided skewed results as they did not take into account the marked disparities between schools in terms of quality of education offered due to facilities and equipment, teaching staff, and other variables.

Those are valid reasons to discontinue the annual league tables. However, one must wonder whether the paucity of data released on Monday amounts to the minister and the Kenya National Examinations Council withholding information of legitimate public interest.

HIDE GROWING GULF

It is one thing to do away with school rankings, but quite another to treat as classified State secrets data that would be of interest to students, parents, educationists, and other interested parties.

While I have little time for school rankings because I know that many of the expensive private schools cheat their way to the top so as to attract richer students and charge ever higher fees, I would still like, as a parent and journalist, information that would help me analyse performances and make my own judgements.

I now suspect that the main reason for hiding the examination results is not just to discourage cheating, but to hide the growing gulf between public and private schools.

This amounts to escapism and refusal to face facts. We will not close that gulf by denying the obvious, but by acknowledging the reality and working hard on policies to halt the slide into mediocrity in the public school system.

I can bet my bottom dollar that not one among Prof Kaimenyi and his Cabinet colleagues would entrust public primary schools with the education of their children and grandchildren.

Ditto President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto, and most MPs, governors, principal secretaries, parastatal bosses, and other top ranking public servants.

It is because of this distrust in the work they do that the aforementioned members of the parasitic classes cannot entrust their health to Kenyatta National Hospital or any other public health facility in Kenya.

When not attending private hospitals in Kenya, many will have their colds, fevers, and grey hairs treated in London, Johannesburg, Berlin, Paris, New York, and Bombay.

That is why we will never close the gap between private and public health and education establishments.

Perhaps the best solution would be a law forcing the president, his deputy, Cabinet secretaries, and all other senior officers on the public payroll, and their dependants, to only attend public schools and hospitals.

That way they will be motivated to real action aimed at improving the quality of teaching and healthcare in public institutions.

That will be infinitely better than the new policy of hiding the truth under the table.

Happy New Year, dear readers.

mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.com