Form One placement for the last cohort of 8-4-4 learners is likely to be finalised ahead of the Christmas holidays, giving the 1.4 million Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination candidates who completed the tests on Wednesday room to prepare for the transition.
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, speaking on the last day of the KCPE and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams, said priority will be accorded the KCPE examinations, including ensuring that the results are released on time.
Indeed, as is tradition, the exam results are expected to be released before the Christmas celebrations.
While KCPE results used to come out in late December or early January, the trend changed since 2016 when the then Education Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, introduced a raft of changes, including use of technology.
The delayed release of the exam results meant that Form Ones would start studies well into February. Again, there were claims that taking long to release the results gave room to manipulate results, especially considering that many papers are multiple-choice questions that did not require the reading of any scripts.
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Reports had emerged alleging that exam markers were susceptible to bribery, leading to potential manipulation of results.
Dr Kipsang reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving a 100 percent transition rate to secondary education, a government policy that carries both thorns and roses. It is a great step that has given every child a chance to complete the basic education cycle and further their education as the youngsters choose various trades and professions.
However, the transition has seen the school populations rise to unsightly classes of upto 1,000 learners or more where the class streams stretch to near 20 while the entire school population breaches the 3,000 mark.
“We will ensure that our children are placed in their respective secondary schools,” the PS declared.
This year’s KCPE marks the end of a 38-year-long era since 1985 when the tests were introduced under the 8-4-4 system. Kenya has a new system of education, the competence-based curriculum where Grade Six learners also sit a national exam — the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment that ushers the candidates into junior secondary.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams for Form Four learners are starting next Monday and will take a month to conclude.
editor@aplain.co.ke
