About one million candidates have this morning started writing KCPE exams under tight security to curb cheating after Education CS Amina Mohamed on Monday confirmed that the exam is secure and no cheating threat had been reported.
The candidates will sit maths, English and composition today after a day of rehearsals. A total of 1.06 million candidates are sitting the exams. Last year, the number of KCPE candidates stood at 1.02 million under the watch of Dr Fred Matiang’i.
“All preparations have been made. We have visited a number of schools just to make sure everything is in place from index numbers, sitting positions and invigilators,” Amina said yesterday at Olympic Primary School in Kibera.
This is the first national examination that will be conducted under the watch of Amina as Education CS.
Some of the tough measures that will be adopted this year include the order that all centre managers cannot transport examination materials unless accompanied by armed officers.
Last year, candidates recorded a massive failure in both KCSE and KCPE exams following Dr Matiangi’s tough rules governing the exams.
This year’s candidates are now under pressure to record better results under the watch of CS Amina.
Head teachers who double as centre managers have also been asked to ensure exams are only placed in one of the examination rooms where all candidates, armed police and examination invigilators will have a full view.
The aim is to prevent a practice that developed last year where some schools prematurely opened the second paper of the day, usually starting at 11.30am, thus exposing it to candidates before the actual examination begun. Centre managers have also been instructed not to carry mobile phones into examination rooms.
“We do not have credibility issues in the KCPE examination. So far so good,” Amina said.
Candidates in conflict-prone areas have been transferred to new schools. Ministry statistics reveal 2,417 candidates in 65 schools have been affected by conflict and displacement.
The areas include Marsabit and Narok county that were affected by inter-communal conflict, Kibra subcounty in Nairobi where structures on a road reserve were demolished, and Nakuru county following inter-communal conflict in Molo and Njoro subcounties.
The statistics put Narok South subcounty as the most affected with 27 and 33 schools (primary and secondary) and 1,285 candidates affected.
Do you think transferring candidates in conflict-prone areas to new schools will help record better results?