Missing marks reality in school transfers
The Kenya National Association of Parents (KNAP) has raised a red flag over the possibility of thousands of pupils being forced to repeat Grade Five, due to missing assessment marks after they were transferred from one school to another while in the lower classes.
KNAP chairman Nicholas Maiyo (pictured) says many parents hardly demand for children’s special assessment numbers issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) whenever they are transferring them to other schools.
Assessment numbers Instead, the parents seek new assessment numbers from the new schools, complicating the compilation of the summative and formative assessments for children upon reaching Grade Six.
“It has come to our attention many parents have transferred children from one school to another without insisting on acquiring their assessment numbers from the previous institutions. In such scenarios, they will be forced to repeat Grade Five as they cannot proceed to Grade Six without the full assessment marks,” Maiyo warned.
When pupils reach Grades Four and Five, they must seek authority from the sub-county director of education for any transfer, as well as a special assessment number issued by Knec, an information they must give their new schools. The assessment number is used to track the learner’s assessment progress.
