The government is committed to ensuring that national examinations were not a high stakes game under the Competency Based Education (CBE) being rolled out.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director Prof Charles Ong’ondo said high stakes examinations fueled cheating and irregularities.
He told teachers, school managers, candidates and all other education stakeholders to safeguard the integrity of national exams.
Speaking on Monday in Homa Bay town when he supervised the distribution of exam papers, the KICD boss stressed that exams should not be considered as a matter of life and death for learners.
“For the first time, there will be no police officers in examinations centers. They will just escort exams but will not get into the institutions to oversee the exercise,” Prof. Ong’ondo said.
He told the press that the new approach of eliminating presence of security officers is meant to enhance trust levels among teachers.
He however noted that the upcoming Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education would continue to be manned by police officers.
The official said each examinations container this year had two padlocks with the Deputy County Commissioners and Sub County Directors of Education having keys for one padlock each.
Homa Bay County Commissioner Ronald Muiwawi said adequate security measures were in place for the national exams.
He urged teachers and learners to shun cheating. “Let us pass knowledge to our children in the right way. It is a case of integrity and trust,” the administrator said.
Homa Bay County Director of Education Eunice Khaemba said the county registered 39,436 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment candidates while the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment had 36, 496 candidates.
“We have several exam containers including one in Mfangano island. We do not expect to witness any challenge during the exam period,” she said.
by Davis Langat
