We are set for national exams, says Amina Mohamed

Preparations for this year’s national examinations have been finalised, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has announced.

“We were able to avail additional 40 containers in some regions in order to ease the distances. All those charged with the responsibility for examinations management need to be vigilant in order to deliver credible examination results,” said Ms Mohamed.

It also emerged that a high-level meeting of officials from Education, Interior and ICT ministries will be held on September 17 to set the stage for the Kenya National Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya National Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations that will start late next month.

INTEGRITY OF EXAMS

Ms Mohamed assured Kenyans that the integrity of the examinations would be maintained at all costs.

“We need to endeavour to have zero tolerance to examination cheating and irregularities. Teachers, parents and the stakeholders in this sector need to assure our children who are candidates that hard work pays. It is therefore the duty of the teachers to complete their syllabus in time to instil confidence in candidates as they prepare for their examinations,” said the CS.

She observed that candidates are often tempted to cheat in the examinations when they are ill-prepared.

The CS at the same time urged parents and teachers to instil positive values and virtues in their children in their formative years as one way of preventing indiscipline in schools later.

INDISCIPLINE

“This year we witnessed cases of indiscipline in our schools. Such acts of violence must stop. As a Ministry, we shall ensure the full force of the law is applied to those found culpable,” said the CS.

She added: “The School Boards of Management, the Parents Association and the Students Council have to be given their chance to play their role and students introduced to civilised ways of airing their grievances for resolution.

She made the remarks during national celebrations to mark the 52nd International Literacy Day held in Wajir County on Saturday.

The CS added that adult education centres should be utilised as avenues for equipping them with parenting skills and positive attitudes towards shaping the character of their children.

PARENTAL EDUCATION

“It is against this background that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) lays emphasis on parental education and engagement. I appeal to all parents, guardians and teachers to play their respective roles in the learners’ growth and development and not to abdicate this role to teachers, who are also parents in their own right,” said Ms Mohamed.

The International Literacy Day is set aside to focus on raising awareness of literacy in human development”.

The celebration, initiated globally at the World Conference of Education Ministers in Tehran, Iran in 1965, brings together all education stakeholders to take stock of the contribution of literacy and its impact on socio-economic development.

This year’s theme, “Literacy for Skills Development”, seeks to empower communities to participate in socio-economic development.

GREAT STRIDES

“Kenya has made great strides in its efforts to eradicate illiteracy. Notable among them is the Free Primary Education and the Free Day Secondary Education programmes.

Other initiatives geared towards eradication of illiteracy include the constitutional provision that every person has a right to education and that every child has a right to free and compulsory basic education,” said Ms Mohamed.

She expressed concern that Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) continue to lag behind in literacy.

“Collectively, the illiteracy rates in the North Eastern region are as high as 80 percent although not uniformly spread in all the counties

“The literacy rate in Wajir County is between 10 — 15 percent. The current enrolment of 1,341 males and 1,297 females is insignificant in addressing the problem of illiteracy in the county,” said the CS.