Supervisors of national exams to be vetted, says Knec CEO

More than 130,000 teachers who will work as supervisors and invigilators during the national examinations slated for November will be vetted by their employer as the government moves to ensure its credibility.

Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo has asked the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure that only teachers of integrity are involved in the exercise.

In a letter to TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia dated September 8, Ms Karogo noted that this year’s examination is critical.

“It is important to appoint teachers of integrity who will be accountable and responsible, preferably heads of department and senior teachers,” said Ms Karogo.

The examination materials, which have been printed outside the country, will be flown in a few weeks to the examination day and will be tamper-proof and bearing watermark barcodes to eliminate cheating.

And, to rein in teachers who have been aiding students to cheat in national examinations, the council has appointed school principals and head teachers to be in charge of their examination centres.

The council relies on teachers to supervise, invigilate and mark national examinations.

Those sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination this year will start on November 1 and finish on November 3, while those sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will start on November 7 and finish on November 30.

The tough measures follow massive cheating in national examinations last year that saw the results of about 2,709 KCPE candidates and 5,100 KCSE candidates cancelled.

The move led to the restructuring of the council, including dissolving of the board and sacking of its 10 top managers early this year.

Ms Karogo has warned that any candidate who commits an examination irregularity in any paper will have the results for the whole subject cancelled.

“If there is evidence of widespread irregularities in any examination centre, the examination results for the whole centre will be cancelled,” said the chief executive officer.

She warned that any person who gains access to examination material and knowingly reveals the contents, whether orally or in writing, to an unauthorised party, whether a candidate or not, will be punished.

The penalty for the offence will be imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or a fine not exceeding Sh2 million or both.

“Please ensure that you do not commit any examination irregularity to avoid having your results cancelled,” said Ms Karogo, adding that cell phones or any other electronic communication device are prohibited in examination centres.

During this term, which lasts nine weeks, there are no social and related activities in schools.

There are no half-term breaks and no prayer sessions for candidates as has been the case in previous years when parents and outsiders visited schools during the third term.