Dear KCSE candidate, that D shouldn’t spell your destiny
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha releases the 2020 KCSE results at Mitihani House in Nairobi on May 10, 2021.
What you need to know:
- That D, D+, or E is the beginning of a successful life, it all depends on you.
- Talent is as important as skills taught in colleges and universities.
The 2020 Form Four exam results are out and, as usual, it has been a moment of mixed reactions.
Some candidates are overjoyed after excelling while others are in torment for failing to meet their parents’ expectations.
I am penning this article to encourage candidates who are heartbroken and parents who are disappointed.
I am here to uplift the spirits of that student who aspired to score A only to get B; the one who dreamed of B but managed C- and the one who worked very hard to get C+ but landed in the D+ category.
This article is also for the more than 28,000 who, for one reason or the other, scored an E and now feel unimportant.
It is also for the more than 190,000 who dropped out. From my experience, exams and grades are important but they are not everything. With the right kind of counselling and support, even those who didn’t finish Form Four can achieve a lot in life.
Beginning of successful life
Not all of us can work in offices. We need artists, chefs, hair stylists, plumbers, traders and journalists among other professions. We are also in the age where talent is as important as professional skills taught in colleges and universities.
Parents, instead of pushing your son or daughter into depression and self-pity after “failing” KCSE, this is the time to show them love.
Instead of forcing your child to do courses they don’t like after scoring good grades, support and encourage them to look at the bigger picture. In this time and age, it is not enough to acquire a university degree without the skill to implement ideas learned to change the world.
For those who got E, there are more important exams ahead and you may want to prepare for those.
As one of the short stories “Mtihani Wa Maisha” in the set book “Tumbo Lisiloshiba Na Hadithi Nyingine”, says: “Huwezi kushindwa na mtihani wa shule na vilevile kushindwa na mtihani wa maisha” (You cannot fail in academics and proceed to fail the exam of life).
That D, D+, or E is not the end of you; it is the beginning of a successful life depending on the decision you make right now. Choose wisely.
Caroline,20, studies at the Technical University of Mombasa.
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