Exams preparations in top gear

The final preparations for the 2021 national examinations scheduled to take place in March and April are in top gear, with a crucial meeting slated for Friday this week.

A multi-sectoral meeting involving the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of Government and that of ICT will take place at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete, Nairobi.

During the meeting, deputy county commissioners will be issued with keys to containers where examinations materials will be stored. They, together with senior officials at the county and sub-county levels will be briefed on the administration of this year’s examinations.

The meeting is usually held a few weeks to the start of the examination to assess preparedness on the ground and also update officials on measures to curb irregularities and cheating.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha and senior officials from the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) recently toured the UK to supervise the printing and packaging of the examinations. He has assured candidates that the examinations have been set and will be marked “with a human face” although he did not give details.

Last year, there were widespread protests after the release of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results, especially from private schools, who alleged that the scores had been standardised to the disadvantage of their learners.

However, Knec and Prof Magoha vehemently denied tinkering with the scores and attributed the impressive results posted by public schools to the Free Primary Education programme, issuance of textbooks to all learners and better staffing.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is also in the process of finalising the appointment of centre managers, supervisors and invigilators who will be involved in administration and management of KCPE and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

The acting director of staffing Antonina Lentoijoni last month wrote to all TSC regional directors asking them to provide details of all officials that will be involved.

“After identification and vetting of the centre managers, supervisors and invigilators, you are required to deploy them into the CP2 system by February 4, 2022. The number per county is attached. Please note that invigilators for hosted centres will be deployed in the hosting centres,” the memo reads.

Beginning this year, the Knec announced that all examinations with less than 30 candidates will be hosted at the nearest centre for ease of logistics and due to shortage of security officers deployed to the centres. Initially, the number had been pegged at 15 but was later revised to 30.

Knec CEO David Njeng’ere, while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Research and Education last week, clarified that centres that will be merged will not be more than five kilometres apart. He revealed that sub-county directors of education had already identified the centres that will be merged.

“No child will walk for more than five kilometres. Where schools are far apart, they won’t be merged. Centres with candidates with special needs won’t be moved regardless of the number,” he clarified, adding that some private schools in urban centres will be the main culprits because they register only a few candidates who perform well so as to boost their businesses.

However, Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi, who is a member of the committee, protested that forcing candidates to sit crucial examinations in an unfamiliar territory will disorient them and probably affect their performance.

Dr Njeng’ere said the competency-based assessments that are school-based and are replacing summative examinations will change assessment of learners and bring the stakes down, thus reducing the cost of exams and easing logistics.

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