When KCPE results are released, certain school names dominate.
Photos flood social media.
“Top in the county.”
“Mean score of 412.”
“Congratulations Class of 2025.”
Parents take screenshots. They forward in WhatsApp groups. They circle names.
The assumption is simple:
High primary results = strong foundation = future success.
But here’s the uncomfortable dilemma.
Why do some students who dominate in primary school struggle later in secondary?
And why does that pattern sometimes repeat from the same high-performing primary schools?
The Illusion of the Score
Academic results are clean. They are measurable. They give certainty.
412 looks impressive.
9.2 mean score looks elite.
Numbers feel objective.
But numbers don’t tell the full story of how those grades were produced.
Was it deep understanding?
Or was it:
Intense drilling?
Exam prediction cycles?
Past paper memorization?
Weekend and holiday bootcamps?
High pressure environments?
You can train a student to win an exam.
But can you train them to think independently when the structure changes?
Primary School Success Is Structured
Primary school is often tightly controlled.
Smaller syllabus scope
Close teacher supervision
Highly guided revision
Clear exam format patterns
Students are monitored daily. Tracked closely. Corrected constantly.
In some high-performing environments, the system becomes almost military.
That can produce excellent short-term results.
But secondary school introduces something different:
More subjects
Less supervision
Greater independence
Abstract thinking
Long-term planning
Peer influence
Identity formation
Suddenly, structure loosens.
And students who thrived under constant guidance may struggle when autonomy is required.
The Dependency Effect
If a system carries you long enough, you may never build internal discipline.
Some students from heavily drilled environments:
Struggle with self-study
Depend on teachers to “simplify everything”
Panic without predicted questions
Lose motivation without constant pressure
When the academic scaffolding is removed, performance drops.
Not because they are incapable.
But because they were conditioned to perform under supervision, not independently.
The Burnout Factor
There is also the silent issue of burnout.
Some students peak too early.
From Class 5 to Class 8:
Extra tuition
Weekend classes
Holiday programs
Continuous exam cycles
By the time they enter secondary school, they are mentally exhausted.
Motivation declines.
Curiosity fades.
Learning becomes mechanical.
The spark disappears.
What Are Parents Really Choosing?
When selecting a primary school, many parents ask one question:
“What was your mean score last year?”
It is a reasonable question.
But perhaps it is incomplete.
What if the better question is:
How do you teach thinking, not just testing?
How do you build independence?
How do you nurture resilience?
How do your alumni perform five years later?
Short-term results are visible.
Long-term outcomes are harder to measure.
But they matter more.
The Bigger Dilemma
This is not an attack on high-performing schools.
Some produce both strong results and well-rounded learners.
But the pattern exists.
We all know students who:
Excelled in primary school
Joined prestigious secondary schools
Then slowly declined
Why?
Was the secondary school weaker?
Or did the primary environment prioritize performance over preparation?
A Question Worth Sitting With
Academic results are important.
But they are a snapshot.
They show the outcome of an exam, not necessarily the depth of learning behind it.
Perhaps the real question for parents is not:
“How high were your results?”
But:
“What kind of learner does your system produce?”
Because in the long run, adaptability outperforms memorization.
And independence outlasts drilling.