In 2007 the average KCPE (end-of-primary school standardized test) score for a Deaf school was 123.05. I don’t have any solid number for Hearing schools but a ballpark estimate is that they do at least twice as well (the maximum allowable score is 500). My school’s students averaged 115.54 and ranked 19th out of 28. Pretty middle-of-the-pack mostly, but actually had the WORST science scores out of all deaf schools.
The full report has all sorts of numbers that would be a lot to type—the next annual report is coming up in about a month, so I’ll wait. You would think that this info, and more , would be at the site for the Kenya National Examinations Council, but it’s not.
Included in the same report where I found these numbers was the following assessment of Kenyan Deaf schools:
CHALLENGES
- Lack of adequate skills and knowledge in sign language among some teachers in schools for the deaf leading to communication breakdown in classrooms between pupils and teachers.
- Unsuitable curriculum and unadapted examinations being offered to learners with hearing impairment.
- Inadequate internal and external supervision and quality advice by headteachers and Quality Assurance and Standards officers in the field.
- Inadequate time for examinations for deaf candidates. Teachers reported that Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) did not add deaf candidates extra 30-minutes during 2007 KCPE as is the norm.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- There is a need to hold inservice courses in sign language for the teachers.
- KNEC should liaise with KIE for suitable adaptations on curriculum and examinations
- KNEC should ensure that extra 30 minutes for deaf and blind candidates is provided for at every KCPE paper.
- Field officers from zonal level to Provincial level should intensify external supervision of curriculum implementation in these schools.
I will not comment because I’m still too new here, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.