National examination results for Primary schools, O’Level as well as Teacher Training Colleges are finally out. It is a sure bet that candidates did not fully enjoy the festive season as they were fraught with worry, apprehensive of the results. The pass rate of 87 per cent was a well-deserving one, up from 83 per cent the previous year. Rankings are back and it shows an interesting trend; urban schools performed better in primary school exams but was opposite for O’Level. Previously, rankings had been abolished as they discouraged poor-performing schools and parents always scrambled to take their children to elite schools. However, stopping rankings was a waste of time as good schools always stand out. Perhaps the novelty in the rankings was including districts so as to see which ones lagged behind in implementing education policies. But one thing is for sure; the Catholic Church having been the pioneer of education in the country has not lost its touch; it has a firm grip on the future of this country as eight of the top ten best performing schools are run by the organization. The expensive private schools are conspicuously missing from the elite group, a clear indication that all that glitters is not gold; sometimes tradition and sense of purpose plays a big part in a school’s reputation. It is not a coincidence, therefore, that girls’ schools shone, and none more than one set up by the Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE). Their pioneer school in Rwanda, FAWE Girls School emerged top, and that again, considering the country’s gender policies was not a coincidence.
