Education Cabinet Secretary George
Magoha has affirmed that national examinations will be administered as scheduled.
Prof Magoha said the ministry is keen
to ensure the school calendar normalises
in January, and so far, there are no plans to
make adjustments even in the midst of an
uncertain political environment.
“It is our sincere prayer exams will be
done as scheduled. Exam is usually carried
out to gauge the student, and, therefore,
nobody is expected to get 100 per cent,”
he said.
The CS, who made the remarks at Bomu
Secondary School in Mombasa after opening Competency-Based Curriculum classrooms, urged candidates to continue preparing for the tests.
The remarks come against the backdrop
of a section of education stakeholders calling for an extension of the school calendar
to recover for the time lost during the General Election where learners had to take a
break of about two weeks.
Schools are expected to cover for lost
time in the next four weeks, as the second
term is expected to end on September 16.
They will then take a one-week break before they can resume for third term starting
September 26. “In terms of children going
back to school, a few that are still coming
back are welcome,” the CS said.
Last week, Magoha said schools will not
be closed in the event of a repeat election in
a bid to cover for the lost time in the already
constrained academic calendar.
“When the time comes for Government
to proclaim itself on certain situations, for
example, if there is an election that will take
a day, we are not going to ask our children
in boarding schools to go home again. It is
far much wiser to ensure learners in boarding schools remain but keep off classrooms
where voting will be taking place,” he explained.
Magoha further noted that the ministry
will continue working with the Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission, as he suggested that institutions of
higher learning be used as tallying centres.
He also assured that exams are ready
and when the new Government takes over,
they will concentrate on other issues they may want to do differently.
The CS also assured that the examination council’s portal is open for Grade Six
learners to select their Junior Secondary
School until August 30 and should there
be need to extend it, they will consider so
at a later date.
Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment for Grade Six is scheduled for
end of November while Kenya Certificate
of Secondary Education will be written in
December.
Other issues
He made the remarks even as he warned
that parents will bear the burden of rebuilding schools razed down by learners.
“If you think burning of a school will
make you not do exams, you are cheating
yourself, you must do the exam even if it’ is
under a tree,” said Magoha.
His remarks came following a Saturday
morning fire that razed a dormitory at the
Kisumu Boy’s High School, just a day after
schools re-opened.
Magoha also urged school managers to
be mindful of the economic burden parents are enduring.
He sent a stern warning to school heads
not to send home children with fees arrears
until the end of the year. “The economy is
extremely difficult for most parents, therefore you must not send students home now
until the end of the year,” he warned.
Magoha also assured the government’s
commitment to roll out Junior Secondary
School, saying Grade Six learners must
transit without hitches in January next
year.
Meanwhile, the CS is this morning expected to launch the re-engineered National Education Management Information System (Nemis) at Kenya Institute of
Curriculum Development.
Nemis is a strategic system for capture,
storage and retrieval of information regarding learners, educational institutions
and other aspects of education policy makers rely on to make decisions in the education sector.
According to the ministry, the re-engineered system has consolidated and improved on the capabilities it has had over
the years the Ministry has been using to
make strategic and operational decisions.
