Over 80 Bridge pupils have been awarded places at top Kenyan national secondary schools following impressive exam success. For the third consecutive year, pupils at Bridge International Academies (Bridge) have performed exceptionally well in the national primary school exam giving them the opportunity to continue their education at some of Kenya’s best secondary schools.

In the 2017 KCPE, Bridge pupils exceeded the nationwide average by over 10 percentage points. Thousands scored at or above the 250 marks designated as a pass by the Kenyan Government which made them eligible for a secondary school place. This outperformance is even more impressive since the national average includes pupils attending elite private schools as well as those in government schools.

Over 1000 Bridge pupils scored over 300 marks whilst multiple pupils scored 400 and above. Bridge pupils taking the exam came from across 44 of the 47 counties in Kenya including places like Lamu, Garissa, Tana River and Samburu.

Being awarded a place at a secondary school in Kenya is a competitive process even those who pass the exam may find that there are not enough secondary school places available. Admission to a good secondary school has the potential to be life-changing for pupils who come from marginalized communities.  

The Government announced admission places for national Kenyan secondary schools this week. Admissions for County national secondary schools and provincial schools will follow in the forthcoming weeks. Children who do not get a place at secondary school may be awarded a place at a technical tertiary institute.  

The Government announcement of national secondary school admissions included multiple Bridge pupils from communities like Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi who have been admitted to great national schools such as Maseno High school, Maranda High school, Kamusinga Boys, Moi girls Eldoret and St.Brigids Kiminini in Trans Nzoia County.

13-year-old Vanessa Mweni Musyoki from Bridge Kwa-Hola Mombasa who achieved 408 marks has been awarded a place at Muthale Girls High School. Talking about her success Vanessa said “Knowing that I have the chance to go to an amazing secondary school is life changing. I was confident I could pass with flying colours because of the support and preparation given by my teacher but hadn’t really focused on how it would change my life if I did well.

My family struggled to provide me with an education and now they feel it was all worth it, they are so proud of my results and my admission to Muthale Girl’s High school; it’s an amazing opportunity. I’m confident that my journey to becoming a great author has just begun and I will continue being a role model for other girls in my community”.

An excited 14-year-old Joseph Onyango from Bridge Koru in Kisumu County could not hide his delight after he scored 413 marks and won a place at Kamusinga Boys in Bungoma County. “This is the best Christmas gift I could have given to my parents. They worked so hard to make sure that I had a great education and the opportunity to succeed in life. I am so thankful and so excited to start at Kamusinga boys.

“My amazing teachers really motivated me to aim high. My school encouraged me to believe that I could fulfil my dreams. I used to say that I wanted to be a lawyer; now I think I will actually be one.”

Commenting on the form one selection admissions Reuben Wambugu, Bridge International Academies’ Schools Director in Kenya said: “We are delighted by the outstanding results our 2017 candidates have achieved. Their success has earned them admission to great schools such as Maranda Boys High school, Kamusinga Boys and Moi girls’ high school Eldoret among many other great national schools.

“Their socio-economic background has not held them back because they had access to a good primary school and many have now been awarded a place at some of the best schools in the country.  These admissions prove that Bridge is a delivering a model of education that works and a strong education partner in Kenya.”

The results are the latest in a string of learning gains being evidenced by Bridge, a social enterprise based in Kenya. The results released by the Kenyan Government follow on the heels of the exceptional learning gains released by the Liberian government a few months ago.

[ENDS]

For further information, please contact:

Jackline Walumbe: Senior Public Relations Manager, Kenya

+254 731 018 460

+254 731 160 000

Notes to Editors:

Interviews, photos and case studies available on Request.

The Government announced admission places for national Kenyan secondary schools this week. The Government awards places to all those that scored 250 marks or over in the KCPE.  Admissions for County national secondary schools and provincial schools will follow in the forthcoming weeks.

For children who aren’t given a place at secondary school, they still have the opportunity to apply, as long as they scored over 250 marks. Children who do not get a place at secondary school may be awarded a place at a technical tertiary institute.

The Kenyan end of primary school exams, or Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) are the compulsory national exams that all Kenyan pupils take at the end of Grade 8.  Independently administered by the Kenyan government, the KCPE is a high stakes standardized exam.  The mark is entirely based on exam performance and does not comprise of teacher assessments or coursework.

• The pass mark for the KCPE is 250 out of a possible 500. Pupils who score over 200 marks are eligible for secondary school.
•  Over 60% of Bridge pupils reached or surpassed the 250 mark and 86% the 200 mark.
• The average Bridge pupil scored 265 marks, 15 above the average 250-mark score for Kenyan pupils.
• Bridge has delivered consecutive learning gains in Kenya over multiple years. Bridge pupils have sat the KCPE in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In all three years, Bridge pupils have significantly performed above the national average.
• Bridge operates in 44 (of 47) counties across Kenya and had pupils sit the KCPE from across those 44 counties.

The results follow the publication of a Liberian RCT in August 2017, which proved that after just 9 months Bridge pupils were outperforming their peers in traditional public schools by a 100%. Read more here

It is estimated that there are 2 million children served by non-formal schools across Kenya. The government released the Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) guidelines in March 2016 to guide registration of such schools in Kenya.  Bridge is recognized by the Kenyan Government as an APBET school.

Bridge is proud to teach the 8-4-4 Kenyan curriculum and there’s no greater testimony to this than the good KCPE results it continues to register every year.

The results follow the publication of a Liberian RCT in August 2017, which proved that after just 9 months Bridge pupils were outperforming their peers in traditional public schools by a 100%. Read more here

About Bridge International Academies:

Bridge believes every child has the right to high-quality education and works in partnership with governments, communities, parents and teachers and has empowered more than 300,000 children with a life-changing education in underserved communities across Africa and Asia.  

Bridge leverages in-depth teacher training and support, advanced lesson plans and wireless technology to provide pupils with a meaningful and life-changing education.

Globally, there is an education crisis. Around 263 million children and young people are not in school and the number of primary school aged children not in school is increasing. Bridge is committed to helping tackle this through a data-driven, evidence-based approach that delivers strong schools and a great education for all.

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