Gladys Boss to 2023 KCSE candidates – ‘I was a D student, one result doesnt define you!’
Uasin Gishu County Women Representative, Gladys Boss Shollei, has opened up about her academic journey, unveiling the challenges she faced in primary and secondary school, marked by consistent D and C grades in internal exams.
The current Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly shared her experiences from Hill School, where she underwent her Certificate of Primary Education (CPE), to Loreto Convent Matunda, and later, Moi Girls High School.
She narrated this story to encourage the KCSE candidates who are getting their results on Monday, January 8, 2024.
The Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced the KCSE 2023 results at her former high school.
Also read: Gladys Shollei reveals ‘reason’ behind her firing from Judiciary
Ms Shollei, now a prominent figure in the Kenya Kwanza Government, disclosed her academic struggles, with her internal exam grades hovering around C and D mean grades.
“When I did my CPE (Certificate of Primary Education that was for grade 1 to 7) at Hill School Eldoret, I was at the bottom of my class. I had the lowest marks…Totally at the bottom. In fact, I could not get into a secondary school,” she recounted.
Grateful for her sister’s assistance, who was already at Loreto Convent Matunda, Ms Shollei managed to secure a spot in the learning institution for her secondary education.
By the time she transferred from Loreto Matunda to Moi Girls High in Eldoret, she had risen to the top of her class academically.
The lawmaker emphasised the message to young people that one result does not define them.
Despite starting as a C or even a D student, she completed her education with a strong finish as an A student in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
“In as much as we have examinations for our students, we must also know that at every stage of their lives, they have a chance to improve. That is why the examining system must be designed not as an elimination program but as an accommodating one,” Shollei explained.
Ms Shollei stressed the importance of perseverance and encouraged students not to give up on their studies.
Also read: 2023 KCSE: No SMS, as website crashes! Here is how to access your results
The legislator affiliated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ruling party expressed her belief that exam results should not be the sole measure of intelligence for students.
Obtaining a lower grade, she noted, does not indicate academic incapacity; everyone has the opportunity to improve.
“Even those students at the bottom, remember you have the opportunity to go to TVETs and colleges, and eventually, you might make your way to be a professor,” she added.
Ms Shollei, a former lecturer at the University of Nairobi (UoN), holds a Law Degree from the institution, a Diploma from the Kenya School of Law, and a Master’s Degree from the University of Cape Town.
Additionally, she earned an MBA from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Before joining active politics, Shollei had served as the Registrar of the Kenyan Judiciary.