Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates in Kajiado North Sub County are a part of a history being made countrywide, even as they joined others to sit for their examination, which will be the last under the 8; 4; 4 system.
The 2023 examinations mark the end of an era for the KCPE, which is being phased out after nearly four decades.
Lauded by proponents as a very competitive and standardised system, for the last 38 years of KCPE, schools have competed for top rankings, with critics of the system arguing that students with diverse abilities were not treated fairly by the system.
The system replaced the 7-4-2-3 curriculum with seven years of primary education, four years of secondary learning, two years of high school, and three to five years of university.
On the other hand, the current competency-based curriculum embodies a 2-6-6-3 structure, with pupils spending two years in preprimary, six years in primary, and six years in junior and senior high school.
Proponents of the CBC note that this module is designed to identify the potential of all students and nurture them towards their dreams in life.
This year’s KCPE will have approximately 1.4 million candidates sitting for the paper, while KAPSEA will have approximately 1.28 million students.
The examinations will run for three days, with KCPE candidates sitting for the last paper in Social Studies on Wednesday.
As opposed to KCPE candidates, who rely on the examination’s 100 per cent evaluation, KAPSEA candidates will receive only 40 per cent of their final score while the other 60 per cent will be accounted for through the assessments test conducted in grades 4, 5, and 6.
The examination follows a successful rehearsal which was conducted last week on Friday for the KCPE and Kenya Primary School Assessment (KAPSEA), respectively.
By Alice Gworo
