Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich got 298 out of possible 500 marks at Lelaibei Primary School in Uasin Gishu County of Kenya as against the 472 marks scored by the national best student.
A Kenyan lady who performed so abysmally in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) that almost no high school was interested in admitting her has now become a shining star in the United Kingdom as she has been awarded as one of the top ten best students in the UK.
Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich got 298 out of possible 500 marks at Lelaibei Primary School in Uasin Gishu County as against the 472 marks scored by the national best student.
She failed specifically in English and Kiswahili languages by 45% and 56% respectively, and it was impossible to gain admission in any of the country’s high schools.
Instead of giving up on her daughter, Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich’s mother kept prospecting schools that could possibly admit her until she got to Mercy Girls' Secondary School in Kericho County.
Unfortunately, when Mercy Girls' Secondary School examined her she failed the entrance exam, which meant that she was not going to be admitted.
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However, surprisingly, headmistress of the school, Josephine Anyango did not throw Gladys away. She said she had seen a great potential in the young girl despite her failure, hence she admitted her in her school.
Recounting her experience at the Mercy Girls' Secondary School in a Facebook post, Gladys said: "I remember the school principal taking my mum aside and having a lengthy conversation after my admission test. Mum told me later the headmistress had informed her I had not passed the test very well.
"I was not surprised myself because I had performed relatively dismally in the two languages in KCPE and the admission test itself tested the languages and Mathematics. Mum further confided in me that nevertheless, the headmistress had chosen to give me admission in her school because she saw a great potential in me.”
To the shock of everyone, she emerged top in Kenya National Certificate of Secondary Education exams four years later which earned her admission at the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at JKUAT where she graduated with distinction.
Currently, Chepkirui Ngetich is finding it difficult to believe that she has been name as one of 2018 amazing Top 10 UK’s Rare Rising Stars.
She resorted to Facebook to share her story to inspire others not to give up on themselves.
He story brings to scrutiny, the current state of affairs in Ghana where admission into schools is based solely on grades acquired in a lower level of education without looking beyond the figures.