MPs Probe 200,000 Unregistered Candidates Who Sat 2023 KCPE
Members of the National Assembly Committee on Education questioned the large number of unregistered candidates who took the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education on Monday.
This comes after Basic Education Cabinet Secretary Belio Kipsang told the committee that over 200,000 unregistered pupils took the KCPE exam in 2023.
The Parliamentary Committee, presided over by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, questioned Belio Kipsang, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, and Kenya National Examination Council CEO David Njeng’ere regarding why 200,000 students showed up at the last minute to take the KCPE.
MPs questioned the Ministry’s surprise over the enrollment of 200,000 students, suggesting that some children intentionally skipped Grade 7, and their parents managed to register them for KCPE.
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Belio added that the number was chosen in response to a ministry request to allow unregistered students to take the final KCPE as 8-4-4 is phased out.
The PS explained that since this was the final examination, individuals who had missed previous opportunities to sit for it took advantage of the chance to do so, knowing that there would be no retakes.
Belio stated that the Ministry conducted an investigation and discovered that there was no such rise among Grade 6 students taking their KPSEA exams.
As a result, they found that those who had not taken the previous year’s KCPE took advantage of the last opportunity after the government declared that unregistered learners could also take the last KCPE.
“It is the final primary school examination.” “All of the others will be evaluated as time goes on,” Belio said.
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The MPs remarked that for several years, efforts have been made to achieve a 100% transition to secondary schools when learners complete their KCPE.
Education PS Belio questioned whether these students had previously dropped out in significant numbers or had not initially participated in the 100 percent transition program.
According to Kenya National Examination Council CEO David Njeng’ere, the number ascended because even individuals who had not been in school wanted to sit.
According to Njeng’ere, individuals who were willing to take exams without adequate preparation, regardless of their performance, participated in the exams. This explains the increase of over 200,000 candidates this year.
There were 1,415,315 candidates registered to take the KCPE exams in 2023.
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The students took the exam last week, from October 30 to November 1. When compared to 2022, the number of KCPE candidates increased by 13.74 percent (170,982 candidates) in 2023.
This was linked to the fact that the KCPE examination was being administered for the final time in 2023, resulting in a last-ditch attempt by learners who may have dropped out.
The 2023 KCPE examinations marked the end of the 8-4-4 curriculum in primary schools, and the ministry is aiming for a 100% transition to secondary schools once more.
This same cohort that took the last KCPE will also take the last KCSE in the following four years as 8-4-4 is phased out in secondary schools.
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MPs Probe 200,000 Unregistered Candidates Who Sat 2023 KCPE
