The rise of exam malpractices in schools called for heightened measures to curb cheating during national exams.
However, since the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum, things are taking a different turn.
The sight of police officers carrying guns and around two invigilators in exam rooms will soon be non-existent.
Assessment in the Competency Based Curriculum is mainly teacher-student based, unlike 8-4-4.
Kenya National Examinations Council CEO David Njeng’ere said the control of exam rooms was mostly part of the 8-4-4 requirement.
Njeng'ere said this was meant to curb cheating and other exam malpractices.
“You must create an environment where the child is not being intimidated by the exam environment. Going forward we will find a solution as we continue to implement CBC,” he said.
The CEO said the council is working towards creating a culture that will ensure self-discipline among learners.
“What is happening is Grades 4, 5, and 6 are sitting the assessment and there’s nobody who goes to that school in the name of a police officer or an invigilator,” he said.
The outgoing education system had police officers and several invigilators overseeing the exam process.
A number of lawmakers raised concerns saying the constant guarding of exam rooms is daunting to the learners.
This month, Grade 3, 4, and 5 students were subjected to a very friendly environment in the ongoing assessment.
The Star carried out a spot check that revealed that an exam room only had learners and one subject teacher.
Bomachoge Borabu MP Zadock Ogutu said a number of students feel threatened because of heavy police presence.
“Let us allow them the environment they require for exams and if there are issues let us deal with them in a more professional way,” he said.
Ogutu added that not only does this cause psychological torture to learners, it also reduces their productivity.
“The main issues with mobile phones is that people do all sorts of mischief that can easily be misunderstood and affect the performance of our students,” he said.
