BIG, BIG, NEWS

From the Founders of Daraja

 

After four years of hard work, the pioneer class of Daraja Academy students sat down and took the 2012 K.C.S.E. (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations, and the results are in!!!

What is the K.C.S.E.?

Though high schools in Kenya do receive report cards at the end of each of term, the real measuring stick is a rigorous three-week national examination taken at the completion of year four. Students are given written tests in subjects ranging from Swahili, English, Business Studies, Math, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, History, Geography and Religious Studies; there is also a practical lab component for the science exams.

So much rides on the results of these exams that stress levels run very high.  A few points may determine whether a person attends a four-year university of a polytechnic training school, or if the student will be eligible for government loans.

How did others predict Daraja Academy would do on the K.C.S.E.?

Surprisingly, though just about everybody supported the concept of Daraja Academy providing scholarships to Kenyan girls of need, some felt that we were doing the students a bit of a disservice once they arrived at campus.

They felt that we were wasting valuable study time by teaching W.I.S.H. (Women of Integrity, Strength and Hope) Class, a four-year leadership and empowerment course, and incorporating Project Based Learning into the curriculum. Some felt that the amount of planning required in order to create a quality, multi-subject project might actually serve as a distraction the students.

What were the results?

In its first attempt at the menacing K.C.S.E. Daraja Academy announced its presence to the nation of Kenya!

The school ranked 92nd out of 1,233 private secondary schools. Five of the district’s top ten girls’ scores belonged to Daraja students. Betty and Faith both received a mean score of A- and were ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in Laikipia East District. By nailing down the highest girl’s score in the district, Betty was honored with the Equity Bank Scholarship, a full scholarship through university.  Though the score needed to attend university has not been released by Ministry of Education yet, it appears that at least two-thirds of the girls will be eligible to attend a four-year university, and approximately a dozen will be able to get government loans.

What do these results tell us?

The results show us that Daraja Academy is working. They show that when given an opportunity to succeed, the ladies who sat for the 2012 K.C.S.E at Daraja did just that. They were successful in spite of the incredible stress and nerves associated with this huge test and proved that courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

Perhaps the biggest gift the pioneer class of Daraja Academy was able to give the school and subsequent classes of girls is the high standard which they set. They truly proved themselves to be scholars, sisters, and women of integrity, strength and hope.

I say to you 25 girls, ASANTE SANA (thank you very much) – you refused to let this world move on without you and we are so proud of you,

 

Jason and Jennilyn Doherty

Founders of Daraja Academy