New Examination Council board begins its work on Tuesday
Prof George Magoha during a past interview in his office at the University of Nairobi, where he was the vice-chancellor before his retirement. He has assured Kenyans that he will do his best in reforming the examination council, saying it is an achievable task. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Among the issues the board will have to deal with are allegations of doctoring of national examination results by council officers at a fee and leakage of examinations to candidates.
- Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery on Thursday said the nine officers were allegedly involved in the malpractice and ordered them to record statements with the police.
A new board at the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) will from Tuesday embark on reforming operations at the organisation to restore public confidence.
The previous board, chaired by Prof Kabiru Kinyanjui, was disbanded and nine seniors officers, including Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kivilu, questioned by police over widespread irregularities in last year’s national examinations.
Among the issues the board will have to deal with are allegations of doctoring of national examination results by council officers at a fee and leakage of examinations to candidates.
At the same time, it emerged that crooked officers at the council may have colluded with school principals to pay bribes to avoid having their candidates’ results cancelled over irregularities.
Those who declined were said to have actually had results of their schools cancelled over cheating.
On Saturday, Prof George Magoha, the new Knec chairman, declined to discuss his agenda at the council, insisting that he will only speak about it after getting a brief from the government on Tuesday.
“Once I have received a brief from Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and the scope of issues to be addressed, I will be able to state my position on this matter,” Prof Magoha told the Sunday Nation.
He assured Kenyans that he will do his best in reforming the council, saying it was a task that was achievable.
Prof Magoha will work with a new board that consists of Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang and National Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thuge.
Others are Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director Julius Jwan, the Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia and Martin Osangiri Okiyo who represents persons with disabilites, while former Kenya High School Principal Rosemary Saina will represent secondary schools.
Dr John Onsite will represent technical institutions and Mr Pius Mutisya from the ministry will represent quality assurance and standards department.
FRESH LEADERSHIP
They will both serve as members for a period of three years with effect from March 8, 2016.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery on Thursday said the nine officers were allegedly involved in the malpractice and ordered them to record statements with the police.
The new board is expected to embrace new technologies and modern practices to maintain the integrity of examination management systems and processes.
It is also expected to vet all senior staff at the council to determine their suitability to continue holding offices and conduct thorough audit and review of the entire examination system and processes and enhance security and integrity of the national examinations processes.
Dr Matiang’i admitted that from information they had received so far and a review of the operations of the council, the institution had fundamental systemic challenges that must be decisively and conclusively addressed in order to ensure the examination process remains credible and meet the expected high standards of integrity.
However, educationists and teachers union leaders insist that total reforms are needed at the council.
They said mere changes at the leadership level will not change anything.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers Secretary-General Akelo Misori said the rot was both administrative and structural.
“School heads pay for the examination to be altered,” he said.
Kenya National Union of Teachers welcomed the dissolution of the board and prosecution of senior managers but demanded that candidates whose results were cancelled be “given results”.
“Now that we have the culprits who were involved, innocent candidates should be given back their results so that they can move to the next step,” said Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion.
