Stage set for marking KCSE which ends on Wednesday

This year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination officially ends on Wednesday but majority of the candidates will complete their papers Monday.

The candidates will sit for Biology  practical  on Monday before tackling Home Science – clothing, construction (practical), art and design (practical), woodwork, metalwork, power mechanics (practical), electricity (practical), drawing and design (practical) and computer studies (practical) on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the candidates will conclude with physics (practical) ending the four week examination that was conducted under tough guidelines.

BRIEFING

In Nairobi, the stage has been set for the marking of the examinations with chief examiners meeting at Railway Training Institute on Thursday for a briefing from Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec).
Some of the examination scripts were returning to Knec headquarters last week and the remaining materials are supposed to be delivered between November 30 and December 1.

The marking of the examination is set to start immediately after the conclusion of the examination and it will be done in about 20 centres in Nairobi and its environs.

Knec has promised to ensure that the marking is done under tight security as it has consolidated marking centres to ensure the swift relaying of results from marked exam scripts and tough surveillance.

The examination has witnessed several cases of attempted cheating from both teachers and candidates.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chief executive Nancy Macharia has since cautioned those who engage in irregularities.

“We are appealing to a few errant teachers who have failed to stick to professional ethics to style up,” said Mrs Macharia on Tuesday during the release of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

MALPRACTICES

Already, special panels have been set up to hear cases against teachers accused of engaging in malpractices during the ongoing national examinations.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said technology will be used at every level of processing the exams.

“Technology provides good security as we are able to monitor all activities during the marking,” said Mr Mucheru.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli said the exercise is going on well and hope it will end well.

The monitoring of the examination is being done through a multi-sectoral group comprising officials from Knec, TSC, Kenya Institute of Special Education and KICD among others.

According to the Knec (amendment) Act, 2017, a member, officer, agent or staff of the council whose omission or commission leads to an examination irregularity commits an offence and is liable upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term five years or a fine not exceeding Sh5million.

The Act has also provided for the establishment of the national examinations appeals tribunal whose mandate is to consider all appeals made against a decision of the council to withhold, nullify, or cancel examinations prepared and administered by the council.
TOUGH GUIDELINES

The markers of the examinations will also do it under tough guidelines.

“Examiners are not allowed to carry away answer scripts, marking schemes or any marking materials from the marking rooms or centres, neither are they allowed to bring in any unauthorised materials. All marking must be done in the specified rooms at the marking centre. Any examiner found contravening this regulation will be dismissed instantly and a report made to his or her employer for disciplinary action,” said Knec acting chief executive Mercy Karogo in a circular to examiners.

She added that authority to mark extra scripts will be given by the chief examiner when an examiner has satisfactorily cleared their scripts allocation.

Examiners will not be allowed to carry personal electronic gadgets, like laptops and tablets to the marking centres.

“Every person getting into and out of a marking centre shall be subject to security check. The council has banned use of mobile phones in the marking and e-capture rooms,” said Ms Karogo.

The normal marking hours will be from 7am to 7pm and where there will be need to work beyond these hours, the chief examiner will be required to liaise with Knec for extension.