Knec issues tough rules to principals to curb cheating

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang (right) oversees the opening of KCPE exam papers on October, 31, 2017. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The school heads will be required to check and confirm that all the materials are intact and that they have not been tampered with.
  • While taking the materials to schools, the centre managers will be required to have armed security escort.
  • Centre managers, supervisors and invigilators will not be allowed to enter examination rooms with any form of electronic devices while exams are in progress.

The national examiner has issued strict guidelines to school principals on how they should administer exams to curb cheating.

In a circular to the principals dated October 22, Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) said they will be required to pick the examination materials from containers at 6am.

The school heads will be required to check and confirm that all the materials are intact and that they have not been tampered with as the government moves to deal with early exposure to exam papers.

While taking the materials to schools, the centre managers will be required to have armed security escort.

At the school, the materials will be placed in the examination room — nowhere else — and all candidates must be able to have a full view of the package.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

“Ensure that one of the candidates in the room physically checks and confirms that the envelope carrying the materials is intact before the package of each session is opened by the supervisor,” said Knec acting chief executive officer Mercy Karogo in the circular.

Examination materials for the second paper will remain on the same table in full view of all candidates in the room while the examination for the first session is in progress, with armed security officers staying at proximity to the materials.

Centre managers, supervisors and invigilators will not be allowed to enter examination rooms with any form of electronic devices while exams are in progress.

“Ensure that no teacher is in the vicinity of the school throughout the examinations period.

1.6 MILLION CANDIDATES

“Only teachers handling practical subjects will be allowed in school when the practical papers are being taken,” said Dr Karogo.

Meanwhile, the Teachers Service Commission chief executive officer Nancy Macharia has lauded the 321,007 teachers in primary and secondary schools for their commitment and hard work throughout the year in preparing the 1.6 million candidates for the exams.

Ms Macharia urged the 30,184 principals and head teachers to ensure smooth administration of the examinations.

A total of 1,060,759 candidates will sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations which will start on Tuesday while 664,586 will write the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams from November 5.

A total of 459 containers will be used to store the examination materials.

CHEATING

According to Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, centres found culpable of cheating, condoning or aiding in cheating will be disqualified from this year’s examinations.

“Centre managers guilty of unsealing the afternoon paper before the stipulated time — whether by mistake or on purpose — will be held liable for this irregularity. Extra caution must be taken in handling examination material,” said Ms Mohamed.

Elsewhere, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has asked Knec to put in place appropriate measures to ensure no room leakages and cheating is perpetuated.

“This time round, the examination body must ensure fair grading in the exams so as to guarantee candidates achieve their lifetime ambitions and long cherished dreams of proceeding to higher learning. The 140,000 vacancies in all public universities this time round ought to be filled by local students,” said Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion in a statement.

MOBILE PHONES

Meanwhile, the marking of the scripts will start immediately after the exams.

Knec has banned use of mobile phones in the marking, script and e-capture rooms.

“Examiners are discouraged from carrying personal electronic gadgets like laptops and tablets to the marking centres. Every person getting into/out of a marking centre shall be subject to security check or frisking at the gate,” reads part of the 2018 guidelines to examiners.