A recent and troubling trend has emerged in the Kenyan education landscape, prompting the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to issue a forceful public warning. The council is alerting all stakeholders—particularly Teachers Service Commission (TSC) teachers, parents, and Junior School (JSS) educators—to beware of circulating, fraudulent Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) ranking lists.
The Rise of Fabricated “Top Performers” Lists
Following the release of the inaugural KJSEA results, numerous documents and social media posts have surfaced, purporting to rank schools and counties based on their performance. These lists, often designed with official-looking logos and formats, claim to show “Top 100 Schools Nationally” or “County by County Rankings.” KNEC has categorically stated that these lists are entirely fabricated and misleading.
“KNEC has not compiled or released any ranking of schools or counties based on the 2023 KJSEA examination results,” read part of the council’s official statement. The council condemns this practice as a malicious attempt to create unfair competition, undermine the spirit of the new curriculum, and cause unnecessary anxiety among parents, teachers, and learners.
Why This Misinformation is Particularly Damaging
For TSC and JSS Teachers:
These false lists create undue pressure and can falsely tarnish or inflate professional reputations. Teachers in schools allegedly ranked “low” may face unfair criticism from parents and management, despite having done commendable work under challenging circumstances. Conversely, those in “top” schools face unsustainable expectations. It distracts from the core competency-based assessment (CBA) focus, which evaluates individual learner progress and talent development rather than fostering unhealthy inter-school rivalry.
For Parents:
Fake rankings fuel panic and misguided decision-making. Parents may be tempted to make rash transfers, assuming a school is “failing” or “leading” based on bogus data. This disrupts children’s stability and places financial strain on families. It also misdirects parental engagement away from monitoring their child’s holistic growth—as envisioned by the CBC—towards an obsessive focus on comparative, aggregate scores that do not exist officially.
For the Integrity of Junior School Education:
The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and its assessment, the KJSEA, were designed to move away from the high-stakes, ranking-driven culture of the 8-4-4 system. The proliferation of these fake lists is a direct attack on this philosophy. It attempts to force the new system into the old, discredited mold of league tables, which prioritize competition over collaboration and overall learner development.
KNEC’s Official Position and the Way Forward
KNEC has made it clear that the only authentic documents are the individual school and candidate reports provided through the school portal. The council does not endorse, produce, or recognize any consolidated ranking lists.
What Stakeholders Must Do:
- Verify Before Sharing: TSC teachers, JSS heads, and parents should treat any ranking list with extreme skepticism. Always cross-check information with official KNEC communications via their website (www.knec.ac.ke) or verified social media channels.
- Focus on Individual Reports: Parents and teachers are urged to concentrate on the official KNEC school report and individual candidate reports. These documents provide a meaningful analysis of strengths and areas for improvement in each learning area, aligned with CBC competencies.
- Report Fabrications: The public is encouraged to report sources of these fake documents to KNEC or the relevant authorities. Sharing them, even with good intentions, perpetuates the harm.
- Reaffirm the CBC Ethos: JSS teachers and TSC officials should use this as an opportunity to re-educate parents and communities on the goals of CBC assessment. The focus is on tracking individual learner progress, identifying talents, and guiding pathways—not on naming “winner” and “loser” schools.
Conclusion: A Collective Responsibility
The warning from KNEC is a call for vigilance and a return to first principles. Misleading rankings serve only to distort the educational journey of Grade 9 learners. For TSC teachers, your professional worth is not defined by a phantom list. For parents, your child’s unique abilities and growth cannot be captured in a false ranking. For JSS teachers, your dedication to implementing the CBC should not be undermined by propaganda.
The success of the Junior School phase depends on a supportive, truthful, and collaborative environment. Let us all heed KNEC’s warning, discard the fraudulent lists, and refocus our energies on supporting every learner’s genuine journey under the CBC framework. The future of our children’s education is too important to be led astray by lies.