News
Cheats plague KCSE
Candidates at Moi Girls High School Eldoret. Candidates such as these will be disheartened by claims that the Form Four exam, has been hit by cheating in some centres. Photo/FILE
Posted Friday, October 30 2009 at 22:02
In Summary
- A cartel of traders has set up centres from where genuine exam questions are relayed to candidates hours before tests begin, a NATION investigation found
The investigation, which also looked at the police was conducted after last year’s exams.
The Knec and police investigators, who began the investigation on October 21, 2008, found that at least five of the examination papers under guard at Bura East police station in Fafi were removed and sold to the gang for Sh80,000. Its report said the theft and sale of the papers had gone undetected since 1999.
Once Knec became aware of the pilferage after the first week of last year’s KCSE, it moved to seal the loopholes that were being used to remove the papers from the stores.
Previously, it was possible to buy the stolen papers weeks or even months in advance, but action by Knec last year is said to have reduced the availability time to days, or even hours.
According to those familiar with the findings of the investigation, the well-connected and well-financed gang has been able to bribe those assigned to guard the papers at police stations.
In some cases, examination questions were passed to candidates in return for payment just hours before the start of the exams.
The findings of the investigation also indicated that the racket had become a money-minting machine for many people involved in the exam process —from school owners to teachers and guards.
Additional reporting by Nyambega Gisesa
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Submitted by mzee_mojaPosted November 02, 2009 01:49 AM
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Submitted by anexus4
Does it make sense for one to get straight 'A's on a golden platter? The institutions or individual teachers who discourage their students to work hard in order to attain a hard worked for results must be brought to spotlight and face the consequences for their unethical conduct. That will be the only way to end examination cheats from thriving.
Posted November 02, 2009 01:02 AM -
Submitted by kiingerald
If the heads of government ministries and most officials over are stealing millions and yet they are the role models for the young generation, why should it be shocking to see students doing the same? We need an overhaul which can be corrected by the Njiiru approach that seeing honesty and responsibility as the basic starting point manners!!!
Posted November 01, 2009 11:06 PM -
Submitted by 78g
Whatever advantage a person gets by stealing an exam, it becomes more expensive and difficult in the long run to sustain dishonesty. If you are not mentally capable of doing a degree, you will always have bigger problems ahead, and it gets progressively harder to cheat about your abilities at work. So I am unfazed by exam cheats. it will be hard to sustain dishonesty. Sounds logical??
Posted November 01, 2009 10:25 PM -
Submitted by powerabuse
As a parent, I would not offer my child these answers even if i got them on my Cellphone. How does a child feel when they get their passed results knowing that they got answers prior. Would you really know if that student was capable of passing on their own? We should just keep improving on the way it is done. We need to stay ahead of Technology. Don't blame the students.
Posted November 01, 2009 06:42 PM
RSS
I feel very bad when I hear about cheating of exams. This was unheard of in our good old days of 7-4-6 education. I think all diaspora members should go back home in 2012, kick out this damn "old niggers" and come back again. Ama vipi jameni!