Learners’ Report Back to School Ahead of a Tight Academic Schedule
The final term of the academic year, which is expected to be the shortest and busiest, is beginning this week at both primary and secondary schools.
However, the reopening of schools raises a new concern for parents: the prospect of increased fees and additional costs. After a two-week vacation, schools are resuming classes; this term is expected to last approximately two months, concluding at the end of October.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Grade Six candidates will take their exams beginning on October 30 and ending on November 2, while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates will take their exams immediately after and continue until November 24.
In addition, Grade Six students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will be assessed, as this term symbolizes the end of the last cohort of KCPE students under the 8-4-4 system, which has been phased out.
Njengere stated, “Candidate registration has been completed across the country, examination papers have been successfully formulated, and examinations will be administered according to the predetermined schedule.”
According to a January circular from the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will start on October 30 and end on November 2.
KPSEA is intended to assess students’ primary education accomplishments. However, it will not be a determining factor for their advancement to junior high school.
This development is a result of the modifications introduced by the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms, which now allow students to seamlessly transition from primary to junior high school without requiring an assessment or exam.
The current cohort taking the KPSEA is the second group of CBC learners who will advance to junior high school. This change occurs as the pioneering CBC cohort advances to eighth grade.
According to the circular, the KCSE examinations are scheduled to take place from November 3 to November 24, with the subsequent marking procedure beginning on November 27 and concluding on December 15.
According to data from Knec, 1,415,315 candidates will take the KCPE exams, and another 903,260 students will take the KCSE exams.
Compared to the 1,233,852 students who took the KCPE examinations in 2022, this represents an increase of 181,463 primary education candidates.
This represents the greatest number of candidates registered in recent years. While 884,263 candidates took the 2022 KCSE exam, an increase of 18,997 students was observed.
The term coincides with the anticipated implementation of education reforms, which the government has stated will resolve the problems the sector has been facing, particularly in light of the new curriculum.
Two months from now, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) asserts there is no reason for concern regarding national examinations.
No one should be concerned about the administration of this year’s examinations, as the council stated that the entire process is conducted in a highly secure environment.
One of the most important recommendations of the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms (PWPER) is the establishment of explicit guidelines for the identification, selection, and placement of learners in various career pathways and postsecondary institutions.
Prof. Raphael Munavu led the team in calling for a review of the Competency Based Assessment Framework (CBAF) to restructure the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) for Grade Six.
They proposed using the KPSEA to monitor the progress of learners and provide feedback, but not for placement.
There are no clear guidelines for the identification, selection, and placement of students in the numerous career pathways and tertiary institutions in terms of assessment. Examinations with high stakes have resulted in malpractice and credibility issues, according to the task force.
At Grade 9, it should account for 20% of KPSEA, 20% of SBAs in Grades 7 and 8, and 60% of summative evaluation. At Grade 12, it should account for 70% of summative evaluation and 30% of SBAs, (assessment of Community Service learning), values, and competencies.
Similarly, the Ministry will be expected to select and assign students to career pathways leading to high school based on their performance and individual interests.
In addition, it has been proposed that the mean KCSE score be computed using Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, and five other best-performing subjects.
According to PWPER, the implementation of CBAF has encountered obstacles, particularly in the use of formative assessments for learning and feedback, as well as in the assessment of values integrated into the curriculum, which has not been completely realised.
The PWPER also stated that stakeholders raised concerns regarding the integrity of formative assessment, citing compromised scores uploaded by teachers and commercial agents to the KNEC portal.
To this end, the stakeholders suggested that external assessment by the KNEC should carry a greater weight in determining learners’ overall performance.
Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu urged African policymakers to investigate vulnerabilities in national education assessments.
Machogu stated that policymakers must devise effective solutions to problems, citing assessment as a crucial pillar of an education system’s success.
Learners’ Report Back to School Ahead of a Tight Academic Schedule