Meru leads list of exam cheats as principals blame examiner
Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi. Teachers have been invited for talks with their employer on their pay raise demands in a bid to avert a strike. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Four hundred and seventy one cases were reported in 15 exam centres across the county.
- A total of 199 examination centres were also involved in the vice across the country, up from 118 centres the previous year.
- Pangani Girls principal Pacifica Nyambongi on Tuesday explained that their overall ranking was affected by the inclusion of seven candidates whose results had been cancelled because of cheating.
Meru had the highest number exam cheats in the 2013 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.
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Four hundred and seventy one cases were reported in 15 exam centres across the county.
It was not immediately established which schools were affected by the irregularities as the county education office was yet to compile data from all the nine districts.
But in Meru School, results of 17 students were cancelled due to alleged cheating.
School principal Silas Mwirigi said it was not ranked because the 17 candidates were not graded in computer studies.
“Results of the computer studies candidates were handed over to Kenya National Examinations Council collectively instead of individually, resulting into misunderstanding. But we are following up the matter with Knec,” Mr Mwirigi said on phone.
He was however quick to point out that the school had posted better results in the county with a mean score of 9.98.
Mr Mwirigi said he was optimistic that the issue would be resolved quickly to enable the school get ranked.
Announcing the results on Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi said 3,353 candidates who sat KCSE exams in 2013 will not receive their results due to cheating.
A total of 199 examination centres were also involved in the vice across the country, up from 118 centres the previous year.
In Kirinyaga, 16 candidates from Kagumo Girls have nothing to celebrate after their national examination results were cancelled over cheating in Physics subject.
County Director of Education James Nyaga said the issue “was an isolated case.”
Meanwhile, Pangani Girls principal Pacifica Nyambongi on Tuesday explained that their overall ranking was affected by the inclusion of seven candidates whose results had been cancelled because of cheating.
The principal, however, said the school’s overall performance was impressive with 15 girls scoring A plain, 70 with A-, 98 with B+ and 47 scoring B plain.
Out of the 282 candidates who sat the exam, 227 attained 61 marks and above, the minimum requirement for university entry.
Mrs Nyambongi said the school had been ranked at number 43 nationally because unlike other institutions that were affected by cheating and therefore denied ranking, Pangani had taken the initiative to report the affected girls after they were found with mobile phones.
