• TSC had thoroughly vetted 70,486 teachers to administer the KCSE examinations
•Macharia said necessary security and logistic measures had been put in place.
Image: LOISE MACHARIA
The government, through a multi-agency team, has made major strides towards ensuring there are no exam malpractices in the ongoing KCSE examinations, Teachers Service Commission Chief Executive Officer, Nancy Macharia has said.
She said TSC had thoroughly vetted 70,486 teachers to administer the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations that officially commenced today.
Speaking at the Nakuru Town East Deputy County Commissioner’s Office when she opened the examinations container, Macharia who was accompanied by Treasury Chief Administrative Officer, Eric Wafukho said those vetted included centre managers, invigilators, supervisors and examiners.
“The examiners have to be included because at the end of the day the examinations will have to be marked by well-vetted and qualified teachers,” she said.
She said necessary security and logistic measures had been put in place to ensure those in the troubled areas of Baringo, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet areas are safe during the exam period.
On Sunday, leaders in Baringo said their children were sitting examinations in unfavourable conditions because of the ongoing conflicts that have claimed more than 10 people in the past two weeks.
Governor Stanley Kiptis asked the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) to make special considerations for candidates in Baringo and be lenient while marking their papers.
“Families have been displaced, some candidates have been separated from their kin and they are sitting their examinations with gunshots renting the air in their neighbourhoods,” he said.
The TSC boss said despite going through a congested school term, teachers and candidates had done their best to cover the syllabus.
“The stakeholders in education are optimistic that candidates will do well because teachers did their best to prepare them,” she said.
CAS Wafukho said Treasury will give a significant amount of resources to the education ministry as the country moves into a double intake next year.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Treasury to allocate resources for infrastructural development in secondary schools and a listed number of primary schools to make room for the 100 per cent transition for children who will be exiting primary school through 8-4-4 and the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC),” he said.
Wafukho said in accordance with the President’s directive, youths will be involved in the schools’ expansion program as of economic revival.
On the quality of education, he said the government is keen on ensuring that it churns out well-prepared youths at all levels of education for the global job market.
“Standard and quality of education are critical especially in examinations, the multi-agency approach is missional in helping the country to ensure that we have young people who are marketable in Kenya and beyond,” he said.
Wafukho said the Ministry of Treasury and National planning coordinates the country’s international engagements at Africa Union and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) within which the youth agenda is domiciled and should ensure Kenya’s youth are well prepared to take these opportunities.