Thursday, December 29, 2011

Top pupils bask in the spotlight of performing well in KCPE



They sat on top of the world and savoured the glory of emerging the best in this year’s primary school national examinations.By Ally Jamah and Rawlings Otieno
Not only were they winners, but they also claimed the highest marks in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations in three years.
Christine Muthoni and Martin Irungu were all smiles on Wednesday as jubilant teachers, fellow pupils and relatives mobbed them with pats on the back for a job well done.
Christine Muthoni and her parents Pauline and Samuel Kagiri, savour the glory. [Photos: JENNIFER WACHIE AND BONIFACE OKENDO/standard]
Muthoni, 13, is a pupil at Tender Care Academic in Nairobi’s Komarock Estate, while Martin Irungu is from Moi Education Centre.
Irungu is also 13 years old.
Both students raked in 442 marks, compared to top grades of 434 last year and 438 in 2009. Candidates are graded out of 500 marks.
The pupils said the excellent grades were the result of hard work and discipline.
However, top honours for pupils in private academies also brought into sharp focus the poor state of public schools, which often lack facilities and enforcement of education rules.
For many years, private schools have produced top pupils in national examinations as public ones lag behind. The matter has also highlighted the gap between those who can afford to pay for quality, and poor families.
The daughter of a military staffer, Muthoni could not hide her happiness.
"I am so excited," she exhaled. "I don’t even know what to say. God has been so good to me and all my thanks are directed to Him."
Life’s goals
Hers was no walk in the park. She said she always began her day well before dawn, went to bed late as she prepared for the examinations.
"There is no magic secret to my success. It is just the old-fashioned hard work and the determination to succeed and reach attain my life’s goals. I also put God first in everything I do," she added.
All her eyes are now focused on pursuing her dream career of becoming a surgeon and saving lives of her fellow Kenyans.
Kenya has a biting shortage of doctors, and she hopes she could do her part in easing suffering for patients.
Her father Major Samuel Kagiri, an aviator based at the Department of Defence headquarters, joked that it did not take military discipline for her daughter to perform well.
Together with Muthoni’s mother, Pauline, they clutched her in a tight embrace of love and shared in her moment of glory.
"Our daughter has made us the proudest parents in the world. Maybe we will throw a big party for her to show how much we appreciate and love her,’ Kagiri told The Standard.
"Things were not just about study for my daughter. She also created time to relax and enjoy company with her friends. She just knew to organise her time smartly," he said.
The school’s deputy head teacher, Mr Vincent Muunda, said the girl had "rare intelligence."
He added: "We also helped out pupils by finishing the syllabus early and having weekly tests to prepare them for the exams."
Irungu said he stunned himself by emerging best.
He said although he expected to perform well, he had not thought of emerging top pupil.
"I was tense when the results were being read. When my name was read, I was so excited," he said at his school, where staff members were equally happy.
The first born in a family of two, Irungu’s dream has always been to become a prominent lawyer to champion the rights of the oppressed and to seek justice for the poor and the marginalised.
At a time when the country is struggling to entrench democracy, he hopes to become a respected constitutional lawyer and guide the country in the right path.
The school’s head teacher, Mr Philemon Chebii, said they were not surprised by the boy’s performancebecause he was hardworking.
Soft spoken
"His performance right from earlier classes had shown that he would do well," he said.
Born to an engineer and a food science nutritionist, Irungu said he owes his success to his teachers. He described them as the foundation of his success.
His father, Peter Waiharo, said he would do his best to nurture his son to excellence.

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