Magoha puts exam cartels in South Nyanza on notice
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha (centre) with Nyatike MP Tom Odege (left) and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development CEO Julius Jwan at Agenga Secondary School, Migori County, on August 2, 2019. PHOTO | RUTH MBULA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Prof Magoha revealed that the cartels, which include some teachers and school heads, have been demanding money from parents.
- Results of 3, 427 candidates in 44 schools were cancelled over irregularities in the 2018 KCSE.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has put on notice exam cheating cartels operating in South Nyanza.
Prof Magoha revealed that the cartels, which include some teachers and school heads, have been demanding money from parents with the promise that they will deliver examination papers to students.
The cartel, he said, has its headquarters in Rongo and runs all the way from Kisii, Nyatike, Homa Bay to the surrounding islands.
RAMPANT
He said the confident perpetrators hope to use the lake to escape to neighbouring countries.
He said this year, focus will be in Nyatike constituency where cheating has been rampant. About 10 schools from the region were found culpable last year.
The CS spoke in Agenga Secondary School whose results were cancelled last year over irregularities.
“Exam cartels are active as we speak, they are already receiving money from parents. Why pay money? Why not take it to church? “wondered the CS.
He said they already know how the syndicate is operating and where the corrupt teachers are based.
“Teachers who are collaborators, we know you. Please return the money which you have already collected from people. We know your names, your schools and the methods you are using,” said the CS.
RESULTS CANCELLED
He said had Agenga Secondary School students not cheated, at least 50 per cent of them would have joined the university.
Results of 3, 427 candidates in 44 schools were cancelled over irregularities in the 2018 KCSE.
The number of candidates and schools, whose results were nullified, tripled, raising fears of the re-emergence of examination cartels.
Some of the schools whose results were cancelled include Kapkenda Girls in Elgeyo- Marakwet where 169 candidates were affected, Kasei Boys in West Pokot and Kinna Secondary in Isiolo County.
In Migori County, all the 178 students of Nyabisawa Girls had their results cancelled, five other schools — Nyankore, Isaya Munde Kibuon, Lwanda Magwar and Ageng’a Mixed were affected.
Ageng’a’s 169 students missed their results as did Nyankore’s 77.
Investigations showed that the malpractices took place due to negligence, commission or omission of contracted professionals, who did not perform their roles as per the guidelines for management of the 2018 exams.
COLLUSION
Investigations discovered glaring collusion among the affected candidates’ answer scripts, including identical errors in calculations; correct responses after incorrect working, identical wording, often with identical unusual grammar or vocabulary, numerous identical corrections by a group of candidates, and a group of candidates having identical readings to those of their teacher in science practicals.
Exam cheats also copied from textbooks/notes or had answers prepared outside the examination rooms and ink of different shades in response to one or more questions.
In essay type questions, the investigation detected collusion cases where candidates presented at least one paragraph that had identical correct and incorrect responses, with identical words, phrases, sentences and punctuation and identically misspelt words. Prof asked parents to teach their children to be honest.
“Mothers have failed to guide their daughters, that is why most girls end up being expectant. Fathers no longer have time for their sons, that is why they will not know it is wrong to impregnate underage girls,” said the Education CS.
