Murang’a governor Mwangi Wairia has said the county will continue administering local exams despite a ban by the ministry of education.
CS Fred Matiang’i on Sunday told governors to keep off management of any exam in their jurisdiction, further warning them against use of their photos or names on the tests.
But Wairia
said he initiated free county examinations programme in 2014 in a bid to revive dwindling education standards in the county.
He said the programme was also started to ease parents’ burden of paying for mid-term and end of term examinations.
Wairia
said withdrawing the tests would be a setback for the sector, citing tremendous improvement over the past two years.
"Schools in the county used to conduct over 30 different exams before we came up with the harmonised county test," Wairia
said.
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He said the programme has made it possible to monitor schools that are lagging behind as well as guide measures to improve performance in the institutions.
Wairia
also noted that the said examinations will continue to bear the logo of the county government.
"These examinations have provided a platform for fair competition among schools," he said at Kangema town on Monday.
The governor reiterated that the ban would affect students from poor backgrounds who are normally sent home for failing to raise examination fees.
"The county government has not sponsored the exams as a campaign tool," the governor said.
The programme, he said, saves parents an average of Sh70 million annually.
There was confusion in schools last week after head teachers failed to administer end of term examinations that were distributed by the county government.
The institutions cited the circular released by the ministry of education barring the exercise.
The governor said the issue should be resolved urgently to ensure learning is not disrupted in schools.
Murang’a county director of education Leonard Kirimi said they received the circular two weeks ago.
"We were instructed not to carry out county sponsored examinations as it is a function of the national government," Kirimi said.
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