Examination irregularities have been rampant in both KCSE and KCPE.Last year (2015)was the worst. It was marred with several cases of irregularities that attracted public outcry. During the examination period nearly 50 students, teachers and university students were arrested and about 30 mobile phones confiscated from students. Over 5000 Candidates results were cancelled.
Due to this Continued rise in examinations cheating, Education CS. DR Fred Matiangi, this week came up with new regulations to curb this menace .What remains to be seen is whether these regulations will help curtail examination irregularities.
Dr Matiangi banned all social activities that happen in third term. These activities include; visiting days, mid-term breaks, sports, prize giving ceremonies, Annual parents’ day, among others. This according to the Cs, will cut contact between students and outsiders who might provide examination leakages to the candidates.On my own opinion this strategy holds no water, since no rule prevents any parent to do a own self private visit to his/her son or daughter during the third term. CS Matiangi also shortened the period for the KCSE examinations from 6 to 4 weeks,I think this is a right move, 3 weeks could have been even better, to avoid long breaks which might provide loopholes for leakages.Those sitting for KCPE this year will start on 1 November and finish on the 3rd of November, while form four candidates will start on November 7 and finish on November 30 .
Principals and head teachers will now be in charge of the examinations in their schools. This is to ensure that they prevent irregularities and take full control of their own school. In case any cheating occurs. Heads of schools will work concurrently with supervisors and invigilators who will be vetted by Teacher Service Commission to ensure they do not have any criminal records.This is a noble idea but doubt if the CS.put into consideration situations where head teachers colludes with supervisors to extend the specified paper sitting duration in favour of their students.This cheating method happen in most of our schools.To curb this cabinet secretary should have given timeline on when examination papers should be released from area education centres to different schools otherwise we will have situations where some school starts there examinations as early as 6a.m to cover for examinations sitting durations extensions through out the day.
To accommodate these changes,second term , which was initially scheduled to end on 5th August has been extended to end on 12 August. Consequently, the August holiday has been shortened from 4 to 2 weeks. Third term will last only for 9 weeks from the previous 12week; beginning from 29 August and ending on 28 October.
All said and done,I think as a country our morals have decayed.We have lost the objective of our children going to school.No amount of regulations will curb examinations cheating in our schools as far our education is based only on examinations results no more no less.we need,with immediate effect an overhaul of our education to a child empowering, progressive and skill oriented kind of a system, where examinations will be a tool to sharpen ones skills and knowledge not to only give one ticket to the next level.The time when the purpose of our education was only to prepare people to work in our public sector are far gone.We are currently in dare need of innovative individuals who will propel our economy forward.This won't be achieved with our current system of education otherwise we will continue importing basic commodities and human resources from developed world.
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