Now that the examinations period is officially over, it is important to cast an eye back and review the high and low points with a view to making improvements in the handling of exams in future.
First, of course, is to commend the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), its officers, teachers, police and other personnel who undertook one of the most complex logistical exercises outside the supply of drugs to public hospitals. Indeed, even where there were shortcomings, the overall performance evidenced efficiency and commitment that should not go unremarked.
That said, and whereas the examinations for Grades Six and Nine went on smoothly, the same cannot be said about the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which was married by myriad irregularities, including cheating and impersonation. This, unfortunately, represents the percolating of corruption that has become permissive in our society and that is now finding its way into schools.
The worst part is that parents have no qualms perpetuating it by buying fake exam papers. Rogue teachers should be chastised for condoning such malpractices which have the long-term effect of undermining the sanctity of integrity. Unless checked, this will make it difficult to eradicate corruption among the youth especially when they enter the job market. We should teach our young people that the process is as important as its outcome.
One other issue that stood out, and which has no doubt rubbed millions of parents and candidates the wrong way, is the unilateral decision by Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba that the Grades Six and Nine candidates will not be issued with certificates of completion despite sitting national examinations.
In his reasoning, one ought to get a certificate after completing all 12 years of basic education. If we were to go by his argument, then there is no logic in subjecting children to national examinations in the intervening years. They could as well sit the normal end-of-year tests and move on.
Certificates should not be treated as favours. They are evidence that the certified person has attained that level of education or achievement indicated. The fact is that Grades Six and Nine candidates sat for national exams. Not all will transition to subsequent levels although that is an ideal that the government has been pursuing. However, due to the exigencies of life, there are many who will drop out.
Does the government want them to go home empty-handed? How will they demonstrate to future stakeholders that they attained that level of education? Assume, for instance, that some opt to enroll in technical and vocational training (TVET) institutions.
How will their academic competences be gauged if they do not have certificates? What about children who will need to study abroad? How will they prove to education authorities in their new abodes that they have been to school for that number of years?
Merely issuing results slips is not enough. Schools do that all the time. There is a pride that comes with being issued with a certificate showing how you have performed, and that employers and other stakeholders can refer to because it has KNEC’s stamp of authority on it.
As such, it is important for the CS to reconsider his unfortunate decision and issue all candidates with certificates. The children deserve them, especially the pioneering Grade Nine class, which has been subjected to one experiment too many.
Going forward, there will also be need to balance the assimilation of candidates to public Senior Schools now that neither the government nor the private sector has invested sufficiently in that segment of the education spectrum.
Whereas demand for places will be way too high, fairness demands that there be a balance between intakes from public and private institutions to give children from all backgrounds a reasonable chance at transitioning.As the transition progresses, the government ought to consider offering incentives to private investors to set up Senior Schools as centres of excellence at par with the best national schools.
And once these are up and running, they should be embraced in the selection process so that they too can give an opportunity to all learners who meet their set criteria. This can be based on the entrance exam model practiced in China and Japan and whose advantage is that it reduces pressure on learners to compete at national level. Instead, they compete to qualify for admission in the schools of their choice.
mbugua@nairobilawmonthly.com
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