2007 Report on Deaf Schools’ KCPE Results

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

1. 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.
2. Unsuitable curriculum and unadapted examinations being offered to learners with hearing impairment.
3. Inadequate internal and external supervision and quality advice by headteachers and Quality Assurance and Standards officers in the field.
4. 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

1. There is a need to hold inservice courses in sign language for the teachers.
2. KNEC should liaise with KIE for suitable adaptations on curriculum and examinations
3. KNEC should ensure that extra 30 minutes for deaf and blind candidates is provided for at every KCPE paper.
4. 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.