Shifting Levels: Why We Need to Rethink Education and Opportunity
A friend called me recently with a pressing question. His cousin had scored a C- in his final exams, and his parents wanted him to repeat the year. The boy dreams of becoming a developer and pursuing Tech, but his father insists he must repeat and get higher grades before he can consider funding a Computer Science degree. The question posed to me was simple: “What do you think he should do?”
The answer, however, isn’t simple—because the real problem isn’t the boy’s grade. It’s the system.
A System That Fails More Than It Teaches
The results of the recently concluded exams included a statement from the government:
“Examination results of 840 candidates who sat for KCSE canceled due to exam malpractice.”
This is 2025. How does a country of over 60 million people still depend on one-off, high-stakes exams to determine the course of a child’s life? Worse, what do these grades even measure? After 12+ years of schooling, are we telling these students that their entire journey boils down to a few hours of answering exam questions?
We’re raising children to be something more than their grades. Yet our system treats them like their worth can be summarized by a single letter.
There’s More Than One Path to IT
My advice to my friend was this:
- Explore alternatives. There are over 100 IT courses available today—each offering a unique pathway into the tech industry.
- Discover his strengths. The boy’s passion for IT is clear, but what specific area excites him? Coding? Networking? AI? His future depends on identifying where his talents lie—a step the education system should’ve helped with but didn’t.
- Change the mindset. His dad needs to understand that a grade doesn’t define a person’s future. A C- doesn’t mean failure; sometimes, it’s the system that’s wrong, not the student.
Lessons from the Tech World
When I started in tech, we had to buy physical servers, network entire server rooms, and configure every machine manually. At the same time, Amazon was tackling the same issues—on a much larger scale. Their solution? AWS. They simplified server management and revolutionized how we build and scale infrastructure.
Fast forward to today, we’re facing a new wave of innovation: AI. Mark Zuckerberg himself has said that AI will soon handle the work of a mid-level engineer. Think about that—years of study, countless projects, and grueling practice replaced by AI.
What does this mean for education? If AI can optimize engineering processes, why can’t we use it to identify children’s strengths early on? Why are we still wasting 14 years of their lives forcing them through a system that doesn’t prepare them for the real world?
The Fish, the Leopard, and the Bird
Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
The fish, the leopard, and the bird all excel in different environments. The true stupidity lies in defining someone’s strength by their weaknesses—or worse, by comparing them to others without context.
Instead of forcing children to compete in rigid, one-size-fits-all systems, we should allow them to grow in spaces where they can thrive. Even when they face failure, they’ll walk away with valuable lessons.
A Chance to Shift Levels
Highly successful people often point to moments in their lives where someone believed in them. A teacher, a mentor, or even a friend observed their potential and said, “You’re good at this. If you pursue it, I’m confident you’ll achieve greatness.”
This kind of support isn’t just about offering advice; it’s about creating opportunities. It’s about showing someone that failure in one area doesn’t mean failure in life.
Let’s Build a Better System
We need an education system that:
- Identifies strengths early. Use technology and observation to understand what children are naturally good at.
- Promotes lifelong learning. Grades should be a stepping stone, not a roadblock.
- Encourages exploration. Allow students to experiment, fail, and grow in areas that excite them.
At the end of the day, success isn’t just about grades or degrees. It’s about discovering what makes you come alive—and having the courage (and support) to pursue it.
So, to my friend’s question: What should his cousin do?
He should pursue his passion. Find an IT course that aligns with his interests and dive in. But just as importantly, his father must offer him the chance and belief that he can succeed.
Because sometimes, all it takes to shift levels is someone saying, “I believe in you.”
