The Education Cabinet Secretary (CS), Prof. George Magoha has applauded security officers in Kisii County for thwarting exam malpractices by arresting eleven individuals at Ramasha Academy Secondary School for allegedly breaching examinations rules.
Addressing the press in Kisii Town after supervising opening of the examination container on Wednesday morning, the CS said they were following a racket which spreads across Kisii, Migori and around Homa Bay Counties.
He reiterated his sentiments that the said counties were some of the hotspots for exam malpractices in the country.
The CS added that another school in Thika is also under surveillance for having strange candidates from one religion.
Prof. Magoha cautioned parents to desist from buying examination papers for their children by colluding with unscrupulous and unethical teachers and urged students to nurture their talents instead.
He later visited Kisii National School and Ramasha Secondary School Academy in Nyaribari Chache constituency where 11 people, including a university student were arrested for impersonation on Tuesday.
Magoha later proceeded to Homa Bay County.
Meanwhile, the Isiolo County Commissioner (CC), Joseph Kanyiri has warned invigilators, centre managers and security officials to be extra vigilant, so as to ensure the government delivers an exam free of irregularities.
Kanyiri said the government spends a lot of money to prepare the national exams and pays the officers to see to it that the examinations in the country are as credible as possible.
The County boss who was addressing the managers, supervisors, invigilators, education officials and security officers at his office today while opening and distributing examination papers said the government would not spare lazy officers who are not productive to expectation of tax-payers.
The CC called on Education stakeholders to plan for future of the county’s standard improvement by sending bright children to local schools instead of sending them to other counties and blaming the local schools for poor performance.
He added that special patrol of security personnel and education officials would be monitoring the exam centres to ensure appropriate actions are taken on the spot in case of any problem.
Kanyiri challenged departmental heads to assist when called upon to give transport for the remaining days and assured them of total cooperation from his office.
At the same time, three students in Vihiga County are sitting the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) from various hospitals.
The Vihiga County Director of Education (CDE), Mrs. Hellen Nyang’au made the revelation in Mbale town while briefing members of the press.
Mrs. Nyang’au confirmed all the affected candidates were female.
“One of them, a student at Budaywa Secondary School, is having a kidney problem,” said Nyang’au, adding the candidate was undergoing medical treatment at Kakamega County Referral Hospital from where she is taking her KCSE examinations.
She led a team of education officials that visited the girl on Tuesday.
The CDE told journalists that the other two were pregnancy cases.
“The other two are pregnancy cases who are being attended to at Bugina and Luanda hospitals from where they are sitting their papers,” noted Nyang’au.
On the third day of the KCSE examination, the County education boss expressed satisfaction over the manner in which area school Principals and education officials were handling the national exercise.
“We are optimistic Vihiga County will record zero malpractices associated with national examinations,” Nyang’au exuded confidence.
Official statistics indicate a total of 15,317 students in the county are currently sitting for this year’s KCSE exam, out of which 8,881 are boys and 8,436 are girls.
Later, the Education Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Belio Kipsang has called upon parents and teachers to help restore the lost glory in the education sector by instilling values of hard work and honesty among learners as a permanent solution to examination cheating in schools across the country.
Dr. Kipsang blamed parents for contributing to the examination-cheating culture in the country through buying or soliciting for examination papers to help their children cheat.
This, said the PS, has eroded the integrity of the examination results and brought shame to the education sector.
Speaking at Mwatate after witnessing the opening of the KCSE examination container, Dr. Kipsang asked parents to ensure they inculcated the values of honesty and hard work among their children.
“Parents have been the biggest threat to the integrity of examinations in Kenya. Parents contribute money for their sons and daughters to get access to examination papers. This is teaching your children that stealing is normal,” said the PS.
Dr. Kipsang noted that it was disheartening that after four years of teaching students, the government had to mobilise millions of shillings worth of equipment and resources to ensure examination were administered without any cheating.
The PS stated that teachers must ensure cheating was eliminated from schools to restore the lost glory in education sector.
He pointed out that security was never deployed in schools during the normal lessons but only during the examinations which he said pointed to the fact that teachers and education stakeholders could not be trusted to deliver credible results.
“While doctors operate on patients without security and lawyers represent clients without police escort, teachers must be watched as they administer examinations on children they have taught for years. This is because we cannot be trusted to uphold the integrity of the examination. This narrative must change,” he said.
The PS was accompanied by Regional Director of Education, Hassan Duale, TSC Coast Region Director Ms. Victoria Muoki, Taita-Taveta County Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha, County Director of Education Mr. Samson Wanjohi and other senior security officers.
He urged teachers to be vigilant and not to allow any unauthorised persons to get access to the papers.
Dr. Kipsang later toured Kenyatta National Boys High School and Murray Girls in Mwatate sub-county to witness the distribution of the examinations.
While addressing students at Kenyatta High School, the PS urged them not to be under any pressure from parents or teachers.
He said students could become great leaders through self-drive and asked them to avoid short cuts to success.
By KNA Team
