National examinations for primary, secondary ready, minister assures
The national examinations for Standard Eight and Form Four candidates to be taken in March are ready, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said.
Magoha urged candidates to stop complaining, saying they can all handle the papers.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta directed us to ensure that exams have a human face and that is precisely what we have taken into account. So the candidates need not be afraid,” said Magoha, who spoke from Egetonto Primary school in Kisii.
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“This year has not been a normal year, so many cry babies. Everyone has suffered including myself. I do 14 hours a day, so who are you to be saying you are too big?” he posed.
The CS appealed to all school heads to take action, other than corporal punishment against students who abuse drugs, saying they are empowered to administer alternative punishments.
“Principals are empowered to use other methods apart from the cane, to ensure children do not overrun them” Magoha said.
Some 1,225,698 candidates registered to sit their 2021 KCPE, which was an increase of 34,085 compared to 2020.
For 2021 KCSE, there was a 10.42 per cent increase compared to last year. Some 832,026 candidates will sit their KCSE compared to 752,602 last year.
On implementation of Competency Based Curriculum, the CS insisted that
Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) will be domiciled in high schools.
But he said that some 1,650 public schools have excess capacity and will be re-assessed to see whether they can be utilised during the transition.
“Because urban centres like Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu do not have enough secondary schools, the government encourages private schools that can establish JSS in their primary school to go ahead.
Hosting of JSS in secondary schools is part of ensuring resource optimisation.
The Ministry already has data showing that some secondary schools have surplus classrooms, so it will be a question of rationalising resources and supporting those with a deficit.
