Adequate KNEC Funding is Key to Improving Exam Administration, says Sossion
The ongoing debate about the administration of national examinations in Kenya is a productive conversation that is raising important questions. Mr Sossion, a former secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, argues that these discussions should be led exclusively by career educationists who are better placed to provide expert insight into this critical area of teaching and learning.
National examination bodies play a crucial role in ensuring that education standards are maintained and that students are fairly evaluated on their knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. These bodies are directly responsible for developing and administering standardized tests and examinations, as well as assessing the level of students’ learning and proficiency.
Therefore, they need to have a very tight grip on the administration of examinations through strong mechanisms for regulating exams, tests, and assessments to make the entire process credible.
However, according to a report presented to the Departmental Committee for Education and Research, a lot of groundwork and justification needs to be done to raise Kenya’s standing in the international education arena.
In the 2022 KCSE examination, Kenya recorded a quality pass rate of 19.62%, which is below the pass rates in equivalent examinations in neighboring countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. These statistics are disturbing and raise pertinent questions about why Kenyan students’ performance is still at the bottom of the ladder.
One area of concern is the need to adequately fund the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC). Since 2016, funding for KNEC has not been commensurate with the increase in candidature, forcing the council to administer examinations under a constrained financial environment.
The undesired effect of an increased candidature without a corresponding budget is congestion in marking centers, unfriendly remuneration, poor accommodation and meals, and increased examiner turnover rates. Enhanced budgetary allocation would greatly assist in alleviating this perennial problem.
Based on international best-assessment practice, candidates and schools cannot be penalized for posting improved mean scores. Thus, if there is a lack of adequate evidence that candidates received undue advantage during examination administration, the results for the suspected candidates ought to be released unconditionally.
It is a universal principle that examination assessment should be fair to all candidates. Where conflict arises on a candidate’s results and there is a failure to gather compelling evidence against the suspected candidate, the benefit of doubt is given precedence, hence the candidate is set off the hook.
However, it is important for candidates to understand the importance of academic integrity and take responsibility for their actions. KNEC should also be considerate to avoid throwing a student’s life plans away based on an error that can easily be isolated.
A sober conversation is needed among parents and educationists to recognize that the role of national examination bodies can significantly impact the quality of education and the students’ academic success.
In conclusion, the administration of national examinations and assessment is a critical area of teaching and learning that requires expert insight from career educationists. National examination bodies play a crucial role in ensuring education standards are maintained and students are fairly evaluated on their knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes.
Therefore, these bodies need to have a tight grip on the administration of examinations through strong mechanisms of regulating the exams, tests, and assessments to make the entire process credible. Adequate funding is necessary to alleviate the perennial problem of congestion in marking centers, unfriendly remuneration, poor accommodation and meals, and increased examiner turnover rates.
Finally, there is a need for a sober conversation among parents and educationists to recognize that the role of national examination bodies can significantly impact the quality of education and the students’ academic success.
Adequate KNEC Funding is Key to Improving Exam Administration, says Sossion