The Examinations Council has announced new rules aimed at curbing cheating during this year’s national examinations.
In the new guidelines announced on Thursday, candidates have been banned from accessing examination rooms with clipboards and geometrical sets.
"Candidates will instead be required to carry their geometrical instruments and writing materials in clear see-through bags or polythene papers", a circular to all schools read.
Mathematical tables and calculators during examination papers for which they are not required have also been banned from examination rooms.
“The government is committed to
ensuring
that the examination process, from the registration of candidates to the issuance of certificates, is conducted in the best environment possible. We are determined to stamp out cases of irregularities associated with the poor management of our national examinations in the past so that the results obtained from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) are valid and credible,” read part of the circular.
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The use of mobile phones within the precincts of the examination centers has also been banned for those involved in the exercise.
The role of Principals and head teachers has also been reviewed to make them center
managers in their schools in what the circular says is meant to ensure that they are more accountable for the examination administration process.
To this end, head teachers and Principals will now be the ones to pick examination materials and return the scripts to the containers daily at the end of every examination paper.
The drafting of the new rules followed a presidential directive to the ministries of Education, Interior and ICT to ensure the proper administration of examinations.
This followed wide spread examination cheating in last year’s KCSE.
Practical examination for this year’s KCSE started on Monday, and KNEC says the exercise has so far been gone on without a hitch.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) will begin on Monday, November 1 and thereafter KCSE theory papers will commence.
Under the new re-organization school calendar, all schools are expected to close by Friday, October 28, 2016, to pave the way for the nationwide start of the examination season on Monday.
All teachers except those involved in the administration of practical subjects and boarding facilities will be expected to remain out of schools during the examination season.
To further enhance the credibility of the examinations, KNEC said that a command and control centre has been set up to ensure enhanced coordination of all the activities related to examinations administration.
According to the circular, the public is encouraged to send in any feedback concerning the conduct of the examinations to the centre through telephone number 0800724900.
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