Principals express agony they undergo in administering National examinations

A section of school heads in Murang’a have decried the long distance they travel to collect examination papers from their respective containers.
The school heads from schools in lower parts of Gatanga Sub-County say they are forced to travel for more than 75 kilometres to reach the Sub-county’s headquarters to pick examinations.
More than 15 principals from schools located in Ithanga and Kakuzi/Mitumbiri wards, claim that they were forced to rent houses in Thika town so as to enable them arrive at the container at 5.45am.
Chairman of Gatanga secondary school heads association, Mr. Christopher Gatebe said the principals have complained of covering longer distance to pick examinations materials.
Gatebe said the school heads cover long distances to and from the container, saying most of the time they don’t have time to rest.
“Head teachers are suffering as they are forced to wake up at 3am so as to travel to Gatang’a Sub-county headquarters to collect examination papers and later in the evening are also expected to return answer scripts back to the container. In a day could have travelled close to 300 kilometres,” he added.
The chairman noted in future KNEC can make arrangement for the teachers to be collecting papers from nearby containers, saying the teachers pass through Thika East and Thika West containers before reaching to Gatanga.
“The council can also establish an examination container in the locality for easy administration and coordination of national exams,” added Gatebe.
The affected teachers, he noted in many of education meetings they have expressed their concerns to the authorities about the administration of examinations.
Central Region Education Director, Mr. Stephen Barongo said the matter will be addressed.
Speaking in Murang’a during monitoring of KCSE, Barongo acknowledged the challenge the heads were going through, in transportation of examination materials.
“We shall communicate with the examination council to resolve the matter in near future,” said the regional director of education.
Gatanga Sub-County, before coming of the counties was administrated from the larger Thika district with examination administrated from Thika West education offices.
By Bernard Munyao