Learners struggle to answer essay-type questions in Knec tests

A majority of learners in Class Five, Six and Seven struggled to answer questions correctly in the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) assessments which ended on Friday.

Teachers who spoke to the Nation revealed that the learners were expecting to find multiple-choice questions as had been the norm in the 8-4-4 system.

However, to their shock, the Knec assessments had a blend of the new curriculum that was rolled out in 2019 and is now at Grade Four.

In the assessments, Knec had provided half of the questions with multiple choices and another half were essay type.

“Learners in Grade One to Three did not have a big problem answering the quizzes ... but for those in Class Five, Six and Seven, the assessments were a bit difficult,” revealed a teacher whose name cannot be named. The Knec assessments began on Monday and ended on Friday last week.

Another teacher told the Nation that, as they were marking the assessments, they found out that most of the learners could not remember what they had studied before schools closed last year.

A majority of those affected are learners in public schools and those in informal private schools whose schools did not engage them in digital learning during the nine-month break. In some of the marking schemes seen by the Nation for Grade Five science paper, the learners were required to think and answer the questions, without multiple choices.

A similar test was administered to learners in Grade Four and Class Eight in October last year after they resumed school in the first phase of school’s reopening where teachers raised similar concerns.

Grades One to Three learners were being assessed in English, Kiswahili and mathematics. Those in Classes Five and Six were assessed in English, Kiswahili, mathematics and science while those in Class Seven were assessed in all Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) subjects, including mathematics,Kiswahili, English,and social studies.

Acting Knes CEO Mercy Karogo said the tests are meant to monitor learners’ progress and to help teachers know how to help them recover the lost time. Dr Karogo said the assessments were drawn from previous classes and what the learners had studied in term one.

The assessments were been done at school level and teachers were required to mark and upload the scores on the Knec portal.

Knec is expected to verify and validate the scores and conduct data analysis interpretation. The council will also prepare a report on the assessments.

The Kenya Primary heads Association chairman Nicholas Gathemia, however, said that the association cannot give a conclusive report on performance of learners in the assessment until the findings are shared by Knec.