KCPE to be Scrapped Soon; Read the Full Details Below
Education CS George Magoha is warming up towards giving a final directive after the Curriculum Implementation Committee recommended that the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) be scrapped.
A report by the Standard on Thursday, December 10, indicated that the committee has already reached a consensus on doing away with the national exam and replacing it with a grade nine option.
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The committee, during a retreat that ended on Tuesday, December 8, in Naivasha, concluded that no national examinations should be offered at the end of Grade Six.
The proposal further indicated that the Grade Nine national exams, which will be administered at the end of the junior secondary school level. It will be used to place the students in senior secondary schools.
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The committee also suggested that national assessments should be carried in Grades Four, Six, Nine and 12 instead.
The new assessments, especially the Grade Six version, will be used to gauge the students’ understanding of concepts enshrined in the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Grade 12 exams, on the other hand, will be used to place the students in various universities and colleges across the country.
Under the CBC, learners are expected to spend two years in pre-primary, six in primary, three in junior secondary and another three in senior secondary school.
The new development comes even as the state grapples with the question of how students will be allocated in secondary schools after Grade Six exams are scrapped.
On Friday, December 4, the committee was instructed by Magoha to draw criteria that will be used to post children in secondary schools.
The CS had also made it clear that he needed a transition roadmap of how secondary will be split into junior and senior secondary.
Prior to the pandemic, the new education system that was rolled out by the Ministry of Education mandated a 17-year-stay in school as opposed to the 8-4-4 system which totalled 16 years.
The committee was formed to address the challenges faced by the Education Ministry in scrapping off KCPE.
With only 10 weeks remaining to the D-DAY for the KCPE and KCSE 2020 candidates, KNEC’s acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mercy Karogo has written a one-page letter cautioning candidates against any examination malpractices during the upcoming national tests.
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She further told the learners to be wary of any aid emanating from parents, teachers and any other interested parties since it may end up costing them an arm and a leg in the long run.
Citing the KNEC Act, the CEO spelt out dire consequences should candidates feel tempted to engage in any form of cheating.
The letter dated December 14, comes in at the right time given that the candidates will be breaking for the festive season on December 23 before resuming studies in January 2021.
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“A person who, before or during an examination, has in his or her possession or under his or her control any examination paper or any part thereof, or any material or information purporting to relate to the contents of any paper or material for that examination, without lawful excuse, commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or a fine not exceeding Sh2 million, or both” reads the KNEC Act in part.
The most touching part of the KNEC letter that will smitten the hearts and souls of candidates is the passionate advice on examination conduct.
In the letter, Dr. Karogo passionately advises candidates to shun any examination malpractices and produce their honest work during examinations.
She faulted parents and teachers who try to unfairly assist the candidates by providing them with materials for cheating during examinations.
“In order for you to receive your results, you must not get involved in trying to obtain any unfair assistance from anybody. You must produce your own honest work during examinations,” said Karogo.
Latest details hitting our newsdesk indicate that thorough preparations are underway to ensure the Examinations are done as scheduled in the KNEC timetable.
CS Magoha, accompanied by a special team left the country early last week to assess the printing progress of the examination papers.
KCPE and KCSE Time table
KCPE examinations have been scheduled to run on March 22 and 24.
Rehearsals will be done on March 19 with mathematics and English papers to be done on first day of the examinations.
Science and Kiswahili subjects will be done on the second day, with Social Studies and Religious Education subjects done on the last day.
Atleast 1.2 million candidates will sit the three days examinations.
KCSE rehearsals have been scheduled for March 25, with written examinations kicking off March 26. The examinations will run for three weeks and three days.
Releasing the examination timetable, Magoha said marking of the two tests will be spread between April 19 and May 7.
English, mathematics and chemistry papers will be done during the first two days of the examinations. For KCSE, 751,150 candidates will sit the form four national examinations.
KNEC Registered centres
But even with the disruptions occasioned by the pandemic, Knec maintained that candidates will not be allowed to change centres they had registered to sit the examinations.
The effects of Covid-19 pushed some parents to transfer their children from some schools.
Knec, however, said that during the exams, the candidates will have to sit the tests from registered centres.
The council said the registration process of candidates was complete, data validated and candidates would have to sit the examination in their registered centres to avoid confusion.
Counties Earmarked for KCPE and KCSE Examination Malpractices
Inside sources at Knec however hinted that focus is still on counties that have had cases of examination malpractice.
Kisii, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Kisumu and Migori counties in Western and Nyanza regions have been put on high alert ahead of examinations.
Machakos, Meru, Isiolo, Turkana, West Pokot, Kericho, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties are also on the Knec radar.
Circular: TSC Issues Fresh Details on the Extension of Contracts for Continuing Teacher Interns; Read the full details below
In an official circular by the Teachers Service Commission(TSC), the Commission has finally come out clear on the Extension of continuing Intern teachers’ contract.
The circular clearly shows that, the 2019 internship teachers’ contract shall be renewed for teachers who were not at a position of securing jobs on permanent and pensionable terms with the Commission in the recently conducted interviews.
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“Extension of Contracts for serving Teacher Interns;
The commission has authorized the extension of contracts for the serving teacher interns. This affects the teacher interns who were not recruited in the recently concluded recruitment process for regular teachers. The rationale for extension is the fact that the internship programme was disrupted by Covid-19 pandemic which led to closure of schools in March 2020.”
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TSC to Release a Complete List of Teacher Interns Whose Contracts we’re Extended Soon
According to the circular, detailed Lists of Teacher Interns who will have their contracts extended, will be out by 10th December. The teachers will receive contract extension letters on the same date.
“Lists of the teacher interns whose contracts are to be extended together with a template for the contract extension letter will be sent to you by 10th December 2021.”
Official TSC Reporting Dates for Teachers Interns
After receiving their letters they should resume/ report back to school on 4th January while the new interns will be required to report on 11th January 2020.
The serving interns whose contracts are to be renewed will remain in their current stations and are expected to start their new contract on 4th Jan 2021.
This comes at a time when President Uhuru Kenyatta has confirmed the resumption of learning in all learning institutions.
During his speech on Jamhuri day on December 12, he confirmed that schools will fully reopen in January 2021 as earlier planned.
Preparations for KCPE and KCSE underway
CS Magoha’s special team is also working round the clock to ensure that the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, KCSE are conducted as stipulated in the official schedule.
Details reaching Newspro newsdesk this afternoon indicate that the team flew out of the country last week to assess the progress of the printing of KCPE and KCSE national examinations by the contracted printing house in the UK.
This therefore means that the candidates who are almost through with their second term in schools need to focus their energy on preparing for the tests.
According to the revised education calendar for the candidates, second term will end on December 23 after which learners have a one-week break ahead of the January 4 opening.
KCPE examinations have been scheduled to run on March 22 and 24. Rehearsals will be done on March 19 with mathematics and English papers to be done on first day of the examinations.
Science and Kiswahili subjects will be done on the second day, with Social Studies and Religious Education subjects done on the last day. At least 1.2 million candidates will sit the three days examinations.
KCSE rehearsals have been scheduled for March 25, with written examinations kicking off March 26. The examinations will run for three weeks and three days.
Releasing the examination timetable, Magoha said marking of the two tests will be spread between April 19 and May 7.
English, mathematics and chemistry papers will be done during the first two days of the examinations. For KCSE, 751,150 candidates will sit the form four national examinations.
Last year, 173,945 personnel were used during the field administration of KCPE examination. Another 6,440 examiners marked the KCPE examinations.
For KCSE, 70,790 personnel were deployed during field administration of the examination. Some 26,597 examiners were involved in marking.
The new examination timetable was released following huge learning disruptions occasioned by Covid-19 that saw schools lose up to nine months study time.
Registered centres
But even with the disruptions, Knec maintained that candidates will not be allowed to change centres they had registered to sit the examinations.
The effects of Covid-19 pushed some parents to transfer their children from some schools.
Knec, however, said that during the exams, the candidates will have to sit the tests from registered centres.
The council said the registration process of candidates was complete, data validated and candidates would have to sit the examination in their registered centres to avoid confusion.
Inside sources at Knec however hinted that focus is still on counties that have had cases of examination malpractice.
Kisii, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Kisumu and Migori counties in Western and Nyanza regions have been put on high alert ahead of examinations.
Machakos, Meru, Isiolo, Turkana, West Pokot, Kericho, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties are also on the Knec radar.
