Days after the Ministry of Education released the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), a wave of confusion has been witnessed across the country over the strange grading system.

The new grading system, which is rated on an 8-level scale, has left several parents trying to interpret the exact outcome of their children and what they really mean.

During this year's exam release, the Ministry of Education shifted from the traditional A to E grading system, introducing a new system in which performance levels are labelled 'EE', with many questioning its meaning.

Parents across the country on Friday, December 12, turned up in their children's respective schools seeking clarification on the meaning of the many grade 'EE' displayed on the learner's report card.

Addressing the press, the parents lamented that interpreting the results had become a big challenge, with many failing to understand whether their children performed exceptionally or dismally.

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"I checked my child's results and saw it written 'EE', and I am confused about these terminologies, which have become difficult to interpret. We were used to the traditional grading way," lamented a parent.

Under the new grading system, each subject is graded out of a maximum of 8 points and with 9 learning areas assessed, learners can earn up to 72 points.

The confusion stems from how the grades for each subject are assigned, with some parents interpreting that the 'EE' grade could be referring to the traditional Grade 'E', which indicates underperformance.

However, it is worth noting that the current system presents the performance in four distinct grading systems; exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, approaching expectations and below expectations.

A learner who performs very well, or exceeds expectations, is assigned grade 'EE1' (90 per cent-100 per cent), which means excellent or exceptional performance. A student who receives 'EE2' (75 per cent to 89 per cent), which means they have done 'very good'.

In the new grading system, meeting expectations is abbreviated on the report form as 'ME1' (58 per cent to 74 per cent), which is a 'good' performance and 'ME2' (41 per cent to 57 per cent), which means a fair performance.

Additionally, a student whose performance reflects 'AE1' (31 per cent to 40 per cent) means they need improvement, while 'AE2' (21 per cent to 30 per cent) means below average.

A learner who performs dismally is assigned a grade 'BE1' (11 per cent to 20 per cent), which means 'well below average while 'BE2' (1 per cent to 10 per cent) means the least performance, 'minimal'