Learners who performed poorly in national exams have been challenged not to lose hope but instead to continue to pursue higher education.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director Prof. Charles Ong’ondo said scoring Ds and Es in exams was not the end of the road for learners.
Speaking Tuesday during Ndhiwa Annual Career Guidance Day, Prof. Ong’ondo said form four leavers with such grades should enrol for artisanal courses and eventually upgrade to higher qualifications.
The event brought together youth who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams last year.
Ong’ondo who was accompanied by former Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr Julius Jwan expressed concerns that some students who scored grades E or Ds consider themselves people who have failed in life.
Dr. Jwan echoed the same sentiments, saying getting an E or a D should be perceived as the beginning of another academic journey.
He said such students can enrol for artisanal and certificate courses and later proceed to degrees.
Dr. Jwan who organised the event, said every learner has a talent and deserves opportunities to exploit it.
“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,” he said.
The event was intended to enable the youth to choose careers wisely and equip them with knowledge on resource mobilisation to fund their education.
Prof Ong’ondo said it was important to get information on the link between what they learnt 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 need a lot of 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 who pursue 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.
by Davis Langat
