2023 KCSE results: Sossion speaks on why more than half of candidates failed to acquire C+

Speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak Show on Tuesday, Sossion expressed concern over the high number of grade E’s in the country and more than half of the candidates posting D’s and E’s.

According to the nominated Senator, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) ought to invest more in the employment of qualified teachers in schools countrywide without categorization of whether an institution falls under the National, Extra county, County, or sub-county division.

This, he said would help to ensure learners countrywide get quality education equally without some schools benefiting more than others.

 “Invest in teachers for every school; not national schools but all schools without categorization because that is promoting discrimination and inequity,” he said.

“A school is a school and that school must have a qualified teacher in the classroom all the time.”

The former KNUT boss went on to cite Tenwek High School in Bomet County where he once taught, adding that the school’s high performance and consistency over the years was due to the management’s push to employ teachers even under the school’s board.

Sossion claimed that during his tenure at the institution, the school had half of the teachers under the Board of Management, averring that as a result, their students excelled.

“If you check the schools that have posted A’s, they have gone the extra mile to hire BOM teachers. Tenwek High School; out of the 100 teachers in the staffroom, 50 teachers are employed by the BoM,” he said.

The MP similarly urged the government to ensure the motivation of teachers who performed well in the just concluded examinations and ensure institutions have the requisite learning tools and good infrastructure.

“How many teachers have we seen being rewarded for doing well? The president has reinstated both direct and indirect promotions,” he said.

“I would expect that TSC lays out a plan so that teachers who have done well are motivated. Quality report and review of every school’s performance.”

Sossion’s sentiments were echoed by Emuhaya MP and KUPPET Secretary General Omboko Milemba who reiterated the call for motivation of tutors.

“We have the challenge of teachers but above all, it has not been easy to push the government to motivate teachers enough, even in terms of employment, promotion, and payment of salaries,” he said.

Promotions have been stopped for the longest amount of time and therefore teachers are demotivated and also the motivation in terms of salaries has not been very good.

Milemba at the same time exuded confidence in the current government following the move to hire 55,000 teachers in a year.

In the KCSE results announced on Monday, about five percent (48,173) of candidates scored a mean grade of E, with only 201,133 students attaining a mean grade of C+ and above out of the total 899,453 candidates.