Primary and secondary school heads in Gucha, Kisii County, assembled at Tendere School for a sensitization exercise in preparation for the forthcoming national examinations.
The session, presided over by Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) Internal Auditor Jacqueline Mbaya, was meant to prepare the examination centre managers for their roles during the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
During the meeting, the centre managers were apprised of the essential examination requirements and procedures they needed to uphold. Notable among the updates was the firm directive that only teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) would be permitted to invigilate exams.
This was a departure from past practices where individuals with TSC numbers, but not necessarily officially employed by TSC, were considered for invigilation roles, a measure aimed at ensuring the integrity of the examination process.
Centre managers were also informed of a new protocol for exam paper collection at the designated examination containers. Morning session papers will be picked up at 7am. and afternoon session papers at noon. This replaced the previous practice, where both morning and afternoon examination papers were collected in the morning.
“To facilitate easier identification, morning session papers will be coloured yellow, while afternoon papers will be blue, aiding exam overseers in identifying and preventing confusion during collection,” said Mbaya.
Moreover, Mbaya said that the centre managers were reminded to unseal examination papers five minutes before the scheduled starting time. Throughout the examination period, the school gates will remain open, allowing authorised individuals easier access.
The Sub-County TSC Director, Pamela Magunga, emphasised the invigilation ratios. “For every 200 candidates, one supervisor will be appointed, and invigilators will be assigned at a ratio of 1 for every 20 candidates. Schools with fewer candidates will merge with other centres to optimise resource utilisation,” Pamela noted.
Sub County Director of Education David Akhaklea reiterated the paramount responsibility of the centre managers, underscoring the seriousness of their roles in the examination process.
He issued a stern warning to those absent from the sensitization process, hinting at their potential exclusion from participation and the subsequent recruitment of replacements.
Deputy County Commissioner Esther Kungu pledged full support from the security apparatus to ensure enhanced security during the examination period.
Teachers in attendance called upon KNEC to ensure timely remuneration for those participating in the exercise to maintain high morale and dedication among all stakeholders involved.
The national examinations are set to start concurrently from October 31st to November 1st for KCPE and KPSEA. Candidates will undergo examination rehearsals on October 27th for KCPE and 19th for KCSE.
The KCSE main papers will commence on November 6th, starting with the chemistry paper one in the morning session and the English paper one, which majorly encompasses functional skills, in the afternoon session.
In Gucha, a total of 24 supervisors and 69 invigilators will oversee the 24 KCSE examination centres, while 49 supervisors and 249 invigilators will manage both KCPE and KPSEA exams.
By Misheba Alfred
