Education standards in Siaya hitting the doldrums

Education standards in Siaya hitting the doldrums

By SAMUEL OSUMBA ANDIEGO

MOST of the gray haired generation from Siaya still remember with nostalgia the days when Siaya was the academic power house in the country. Popular sayings like ‘nearly all the professors in the country were from Siaya’ were very common.

These were the days when education standards in Siaya were an admiration to all in the country. Big schools from Siaya were better known as academic powerhouses. These schools were on everyone’s lips in every corner of the country.

Schools such as St. Mary’s Yala, Ambira, Sawagongo, Ngiya, Chianda, Lwak and Usenge from the then Siaya District were household names in the country because of their darling performances.Every parent across the country wished his or her son/daughter attended any of these schools since it was a sure way of getting to the most cherished highest level of education-the University.

Kenya’s most respected professionals and intellectuals

Those were the days when Siaya boasted of producing top cream professionals in the country. Talk to most of our current leaders and professionals from all sectors of our economy and three out of five of them will tell you they are products of St.Mary’s Yala, Ngiya Girls other schools we have already mentioned.

Teachers from Siaya during that time ‘walked with small heads’ and in style. It was prestigious to introduce yourself as a teacher from Siaya. They earned respect and honour from everyone across the country as they were viewed as producers of the country’s best intellectuals and professionals in various fields.

But that was then. Today as I write this article, things have changed a great deal.So much water has passed under the bridge. Neither St.Mary’s Yala nor Ngiya Girls is regarded as academic powerhouses anymore. Academic standards in those schools are deplorable and have taken a nose dive trend. Worse still, performance continue to decline every year and there are no signs in the horizon that there will be any improvement.

Taking a closer look at last year’s KCPE and KCSE results, there is no doubt that education standards in Siaya are in deed in the doldrums and something must be done soonest before things get out of control.In KCPE for instance, very few students from Siaya scored 400 marks and above that would earn them a ticket to join some of the top national scholls in the country like Alliance, Mangu, Starehe, Strathmore, Loreto, State House Girls among others.

Big schools in Siaya mentioned above are no longer household names in the country.

'It is a surprise and a pity at the same time that small and recent schools like Nyagondo is giving a big school like St.Mary’s Yala a run for their money', adds John Okinda

Where did the rain start beating us?

The big question many are asking is ‘what went wrong’? When and where did the rain start beating us? The former academic powerhouses are still believed to have (if not even better) facilities that they had during their better days. If so, then why can’t they make use of them?

Back to KCPE results of 2004,only three boys from Siaya were ranked among 100 best in the province.It was worse for the girls as none made it in this ranking.KCSE was no better.Top schools in Siaya could not match the 100 best schools nationally.Even St.Mary’s Yala that had been appearing among the top 100 best schools nationally this time round was nowhere closer to that list.If anything,it dropped from index 8.2 to 7.9.The best these schools could manage was far below their standards.For example, St.Mary’s Yala regarded as the best in Siaya District,only managed position 67 among the best 100 provincial schools,defaeted by new schools founded just the other day.Ngiya Girls in the same category contended with position 71.Others that also appeared in the same category were Ukwala,Nyagondo,Sidindi, Simenya and Ambira.Sawagongo was nowhere as well as other well equipped and staffed schools such as Rangala,Sega,Mbaga among others.

Maseno produced more A's than Siaya

Worse still, in terms of quality passes,Siaya schools performed dismally and are still worse compared to other schools in the country.Grade A was a rare comodity to come by in most schools including the well endowed schools like St.Mary’s Yala, Rangala, Sawagongo, Ukwala, Ambira, Sega and others of the kind, and if there was,then the number could not go beyond five on the higher side.Compared to other districts in the region like Kisumu, Homabay, Nyando, Migori, Siaya’s perfomance was not convincing given that it had been an academic force to reckon with.Take for example a single school like Maseno had far much more mean grade A compared to the total number of the same in the whole of Siaya district and worse when compared to schools like Stathmore, Alliance or Starehe.If a single school with 200 candidate can produce more mean grade A than a district with over 3,000 candidates,there there are a thousand and one reasons for everyone to start having sleepness nights as a solution is sought.

What therefore could be the problem with Siaya schools?

Find out in the next issue of Community Times as CNS goes out to investigate the problems bedeviling the academic standards in Siaya and the possible steps that need to be taken to remedy the situation.

The writer is a Bachelor of Education (Arts-Kiswahili and History) graduate from Kenyatta University and currently a BOG teacher at Ulumbi Secondary School in Yala.

Though released in 1997, this report provides some information on this situation. A report on the free primary education in Kenya is here.