School heads cautioned against exam leakage
School principals who leak national exams will be severely punished, the government has warned.
The Kenya National Examinations Council Wednesday said it was aware of the plans by some school heads and cautioned that they will face the wrath if found.
“Do not listen to Satan. There are some people who are collecting money hoping to get the exams. It will not happen. We are aware of those plans,” said KNEC chairman George Magoha.
Prof Magoha said stringent security measures have been put in place to deal with the perpetrators and urged the teachers not to be found on the wrong side of the law.
Addressing the more than 8, 000 principals during their 43th annual meeting at Wild Waters Centre in Mombasa, Prof Magoha said it was Cabinet Secretary Interior Fred Matiang’i, who is in charge of security, “and you know what that means.”
“If you think (Dr) Matiang’i left, then get to know he is in charge of security and so we shall have more security and if you make a choice that you do not want to be honoured, then that is a personal choice ND we shall not sympathise with you,” said Prof Magoha.
Dr Matiang’i is known for the reforms in the education sector which he headed before he was given the Security docket.
On Wednesday, Prof Magoha assured the principals that the examination was set within the syllabus and asked them not to allow their students to get into a panic mode.
He, however, advised them not to rush into completing the syllabus as he urged them to nurture the students “and ensure they use their brains.”
The heads had asked the examinations council to explain why there was mass failure in science subjects in last year’s KCSE. The principals said parents, teachers, students and other education players need answers over the mass failure.
Hundreds of thousands of last year’s Form Four leavers were locked out of universities and other tertiary institutions due to mass failures, especially in science subjects.
Only 70,073 out of the 611,952 candidates — just 11.5 per cent — attained the minimum university entry qualification of C+ mean grade.
In 2016, some 88,929 qualified. There were 142 (0.02 per cent) candidates who obtained mean grade of A in the 2017 exam compared to 141 (0.02 per cent) 2016.
“We want the government to explain why there was massive failure in KCSE (Kenya Certification of Secondary Examination) especially in Biology and Chemistry. This will enable us prepare this year’s candidates and, if we as teachers are responsible, we will pull up our socks,” the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairman Indimuli Kahi said.
The principals also want the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to employ more science and art & craft teachers citing shortage.
