Analysis of Socrates’ Credo, “The Unexamined life is not worth living” in relation to learners who fail the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examinations

Abstract

Every year when candidates sit Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, a subst antial number of candidates do fail to get the required grade that is cons idered as ‘Pass’. Such failures get grade E which equates them practically to individuals who never attended school for whatever education altho ugh theoretically they are ‘better’ than the latter. This study analyses KCSE examination failings in a period o f three consecutive years (2008 - 2010) in the light of an explication of Socrates’ credo, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. It is contended that learners have ability to auto - evaluate their knowledge and any other external evaluation of the same is subservient. It is concluded that the branding of learners as failures by the Kenya National Examinations Council in KCSE examination s is epistemologically fallacious. A learner who sits KCSE examinations has previously demonstrated academic related prowe ss in the previous levels of education at home, nursery and primary education