CS Machogu Asked to Suspend Form One Selection Pending KCPE Results Review
The Elimu Bora Working Group has urged Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to immediately halt the Form One selection process pending the completion and validation of an independent evaluation of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) 2023 results.
The group condemned, in a statement to the press on November 28, the reported inconsistencies and errors in KCPE results that have been observed since the results were made public on Thursday, November 23.
The group asserts that there is a conspicuous infringement upon the rights of the students whose academic performance has been compromised, and any further processing of the tampered results without subjecting them to an independent validation process could potentially worsen the situation.
Under a certificate of urgency, the rights organization has petitioned the court to halt the ongoing Form 1 selection and demand that National Examinations restore their integrity.
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The Elimu group identified significant concerns, including the prolonged exam results caused by code 40054 and its continuous failure for over four hours.
Parental complaints include, among other things, the fact that some children received grades for subjects they never sat for. Additionally, there have been reports indicating that students who attempted the same subjects but obtained identical marks received varying grades.
Additionally, the group observed that one school recorded nearly identical grades for every student in a single subject and that some schools allegedly performed significantly worse than when their previous scores were recorded.
In light of the inconsistencies in the results, the Elimu working group concludes that the KCPE results were manipulated and a breach of integrity occurred.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has been criticized for its alleged delay in responding to the complaints and for disregarding the concerns expressed by parents.
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“Notwithstanding the KNEC’s admission that over 130 cases have been filed, there appears to be no transparent and open procedure for submitting these claims, nor is there a clear mechanism for resolving them,” the organization stated.
Additionally, the group has demanded that CS Machogu, David Njengere, the CEO of KNEC, and their respective teams accept accountability for their errors.
“Candidates, teachers, and parents have an obligation to ensure that examinations are managed efficiently, that accurate results are submitted as tendered, and that instances of misconduct are addressed in adherence to legal regulations. The Elimu group stated, “These public officials slept on the job and should accept full responsibility for the mess.”
KNEC has released a statement elucidating that the outcomes are precise; rather, a system failure is to blame for the alternative plus or minus sign. The authority also states that candidates may achieve comparable scores on multiple-choice exams.
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According to KNEC CEO Dr. David Njengere, candidates have thirty days to raise questions about the system and express concerns to the examination body through the sub-county director of education.
Conversely, Njengere ascribed the problem to the SMS provider, asserting that the difficulties encountered by candidates were not attributable to KNEC but rather to the SMS service provider.
CS Machogu Asked to Suspend Form One Selection Pending KCPE Results Review
