20/01/2026
STOP SENDING FORM FOUR LEAVERS BACK TO SCHOOL JUST TO CHASE GRADES.
Telling a Form Four leaver to repeat a whole year just because they got a D+, C, or “didn’t qualify for university” does not make sense anymore.
University is not for everyone.
And that is not an insult.
This idea that everyone must hit a certain grade to be “successful” is outdated and harmful.
If university is not meant for you, it is not meant for you.
Forcing it does not change that.
Repeating Form Four just to “try and improve the grade” often achieves one thing:
wasted time.
A whole year gone.
Same system.
Same pressure.
Same subjects.
And sometimes, the same results.
Then what?
We need to stop defining children purely by grades.
Grades measure memory and exam performance.
They do not measure ability, talent, discipline, or practical intelligence.
Someone can get a D and still become:
• A great social media manager
• A skilled video editor
• A solid electrician
• A mechanic who earns daily
• A plumber who never lacks work
• A freelancer who feeds a family
None of those people are paid because of KCSE grades.
They are paid because of what they can do.
Instead of saying “rudia Form Four,”
why don’t we ask better questions?
What is this person interested in?
What are they naturally good at?
What skills can they start learning now?
Why are we still forcing young people to carry 8 subjects like baggage,
when they already know by Form Two or Form Three what they enjoy?
If a child is drawn to computers, design, media, mechanics, or technical work,
why not invest there early?
University should be about practical value, not glory.
Not status.
Not village applause.
Even those who repeat, improve grades, and enter university,
are they guaranteed jobs in today’s economy?
No.
So why pretend grades alone are the solution?
Kurudia Form Four does not fix a broken system.
It just delays reality.
We need to move from merit-only thinking to ability-based thinking.
mwalimu Paul chepkwony
