A group of students who scored E grade in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) have formed a support group in Kariobangi South in Nairobi.
Dubbed ‘Kenya E Graders Association,’ the support group’s main goal is to be an encouragement to those who do not perform well in the national exams and offer additional support.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, December 2, officials of the support group detailed that the formation of the group was inspired by the need to break the stigma associated with the grade.
Wycliff Omondi, the Vice Chairman of the group stated that many had resulted to committing suicide because of the segregation and embarrassment.
“Scoring an E grade is not the end of the journey, there is life afterwards,” he stated.
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KCSE E Graders Detail Their Plight in Society
At the same time, the chairman of the association Ayub Simba noted that those who scored an E grade in the national exams often a times ended up not continuing with their education.
Subsequently, they ended up jobless and left behind in the neighborhood where some ended up in crime.
Also, he lamented that even though some did nothing of harm to the community, they were often looked down upon and accused of all petty crimes including theft.
However, he believed that there was still hope for them adding that if given an opportunity, those youths could change their lives for the better.
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“Some of these youths remain in the neighborhood doing nothing and they are judged for that and accused of all crimes including petty theft. But we believe that these youths can change,” he explained.
Notably, the association’s tag line is ‘E is for Excellence’.
Association Leaders Recount their Experience Scoring E Grades
Omondi, the Vice Chairman, recounted his experience narrating that his parents were disappointed about the grade he scored and that affected him the most.
Further, he stated that it was all a painful experience adding that he was able to overcome the negative feelings and make a life for himself.
“It is very painful because my parents had a higher expectation, but God also had other plans,’ he stated.
On the other hand, the chairman asked parents to be more accepting of their children’s grades noting that their reaction affected their further education as well.
“As much as we see parents complaining on TV that their children did not score a certain grade, the first thing the child believes is that that is not their grade.
“Even when they go to school, that sticks with them and the pressure from the parents interferes with their education,” added Simba.
