Education CS Amina to chair meeting on KCSE exam leak

A high-level security meeting to lay down strategies of eliminating cheating during this year’s Form Four examinations will be held on Monday.

The meeting, to be led by Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed at the Kenya School of Government, will be attended by close to 1,000 education and security officials.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination practicals begin on October 22 and end on November 1.

The practicals include French (oral and braille), German (oral), Arabic (oral), Kenyan Sign Language (practical signing skills), music (practical) and home science (foods and nutrition).

The officers, among them sub-county directors of education and deputy county commissioners, will receive keys for the 459 containers to be used to secure the examination materials.

They are the only people allowed to open the containers when the papers and other materials are being collected.

SECURITY

Also expected at the meeting are officers from the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya National Examinations Council.

According to Ms Mohamed, the materials will be dispatched to sub-counties under tight security.

“There will be enhanced security in areas mapped as high risk. We have held consultative meetings with the Ministry of Interior and other security agencies to ensure a seamless coordination and delivery of the 2018 national examination materials,” the minister said.

She said the papers would reach the designated centres within the set timeframe.

“Monitoring will be by vetted officers who would have been adequately briefed on examination regulations to ensure a process free of irregularities,” she said.

VIOLENCE

Focus has also shifted to northeastern Kenya.

There are reports of hostility to non-local teachers in order to create room for examination cheating.

The minister said thousands of students were affected by the clashes in Narok and Nakuru.

In Narok South Sub-County, a total of 13,476 pupils in 27 primary schools, including 1,087 candidates, were affected by the skirmishes.

“Six secondary schools with a total enrolment of 1,183, including 198 candidates are also affected,” the Cabinet Secretary told the National Assembly’s Education Committee.

In Narok North, 15 schools with 5,791 pupils, including 434 candidates, were affected, she said.

In Molo and Njoro sub-counties in Nakuru, 17 schools were affected.

The minister said several schools in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi, were demolished as they had been built on road and railway reserves.

“A total of 15 schools with 258 candidates were affected by the demolitions. Alternative examination centres have been proposed,” Ms Mohamed said.

GENDER

The minister added that calm has returned to Narok and Nakuru and expressed confidence that the KCSE and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations would go on without as planned.

She said more boys than girls would sit for the national examinations.

According to a report she presented to Parliament, a total of 531,548 boys will write the KCPE examination while the girls will be 529,155.

The 1,060,703 candidates will sit the examination in 27,161 centres.

The report also showed that 341,089 boys registered for the KCSE examination compared to 323,498 girls.

The 664,585 candidates will write their examination in 10,077 centres.

DISABLED

The registration of candidates for the 2018 KCPE and KCSE examinations took place from January 15 to March 7.

“Some 2,481 and 1,511 candidates with Special Needs registered for the KCPE and KCSE examinations respectively,” the minister said.

“Knec has put in place measures to ensure candidates with hearing impairment are provided with adapted examination papers. Partially blind candidates will be given large print examination materials while totally blind ones will get braille papers.”

She said centre managers, supervisors, invigilators and security personnel will be deployed to the schools and dispatch points.