Nairobi, Kenya – The 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results have revealed a worrying decline in performance, with education stakeholders pointing to teachers’ strikes and high school fees as major contributing factors. Education analysts note that the prolonged industrial actions disrupted teaching and learning across public and private schools, affecting revision time and exam preparation for thousands of candidates.
According to Ministry of Education officials, the 2024 academic year experienced several labor disputes, including delayed payment of allowances and demands for permanent employment, which led to multiple strikes. In addition, some students were unable to access quality education due to exorbitant tuition fees in private institutions, forcing many to withdraw or drop out mid-term. These challenges compounded the difficulties of an already demanding curriculum, affecting overall student performance nationally.
Reactions from parents, teachers, and policymakers have been mixed. While teachers’ unions maintain that strikes were necessary to secure fair working conditions, parents and education experts urge a more balanced approach to prevent students from bearing the brunt. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has pledged to engage all stakeholders to address systemic challenges, including teacher welfare and affordability of secondary education, in a bid to improve KCSE outcomes in the coming years.