The number of candidates who scored grade E in the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination has nearly doubled compared to last year and it’s alarming.

According to data by the Ministry of Education, 46,151 candidates scored grade E in the 2021 KCSE examination compared to 28,046 the previous year and 35,536 in 2017.

26,578 boys fell in the grade E category against 19,573 girls in the recently released KCSE 2021 results.

Similarly, the candidates who scored below D+ also increased by nearly 90,000 and accounted for 60 percent of the 826,807 learners who sat the 2021 KCSE exam.

Those who attained the minimum qualification — grade C-minus — for diploma courses in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions dropped by 10,048 to 99,406 from 109,454 the previous year.

Critics have poked holes in the quality of learning in schools post the COVID-19 school disruption that saw schools in the country face a countrywide closure for nine months.

The school calendar was consequently disrupted and school terms shrank to 2 months from the usual three.

Some have questioned whether schools were able to complete the syllabus for the 2020/21 academic years and if candidates sitting for national exams were examined on areas they have covered in class.

Below are some of the views shared by concerned Kenyans on social media;

Remmie Bonston Mugambi:We pretend not to know that the syllabus that had problems covering within 9 months was covered within 6 months. And no break…

Wandia Njoya: Look straight into the 82% failure in KCSE. Dont turn away. That IS the failure of Kenya. Yes middle class, Kenya is one big racket of social hierarchy and discrimination.

Kelvinne Ocs: Not every brain is compatible with Calculus,Burettes and Dichotomous Keys. One of the reasons why CBC overtakes the current system. An E doesn’t mean someone is useless,they may be equipped differently.

Ingaiza Japhet:The issue is not about students or teacher, 70% of schools luck good environment for learning and if you look keenly the most performing students come from schools that are properly equipped,

I believe if a child is put in good environment of learning they will perform much better.

Ajwang Evans:The examination rules have gotten so tight and the students have had slime chance of cheating, and this is relatively good. There isn’t any need for generating bogus A’s that have no value, just for the sake of passing exams.