Submit list of students who missed national exams, Magoha told

Senators now want Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to submit a list of students who missed KCPE and KCSE exams.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said this data should be availed to the Senate.

Cherargei said Magoha should give an update of missing candidates just as he responds to claims of exam malpractice.

“We also need the ministry to update the country on the state of many candidates who continue to miss this important exam,” Cherargei said.

This came even as senators demanded for a compensation policy to ensure the candidates sit the exams.

“As they update us on KCSE, Magoha and his Principal Secretary should tell us the number of students registered for national exams and how many are missing," the senator said. 

"Is it because of insecurity, early pregnancies or other family matters so that we become aware?” 

The senator singled out students in violence-prone areas who he said need to be given a second chance. 

More than fifty students missed exams due to various reasons even as 2021 KCPE results are set to be released on Monday. 

Nominated Senator Getrude Musuruve said most learners were faced with various challenges which require urgent action.

Musuruve called on the multi-agency teams overseeing administration of national exams to step in and help the students.

This, she said, will allow learners who missed their exams to have a smooth transition in their education.

Muuruve said investigations need to be commenced on a case-by-case basis for the missing learners. 

“Failure to sit for these exams exposes learners to a precarious state of not transitioning to secondary school with the rest of their classmates,” she said.

Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura backed his counterpart, saying the hype around national exams affect learners.

Mwaura said this instills fear of failure in candidates, asking whether the Competency-Based Curriculum would change the situation.

In CBC, there’s no grading for pupils. A learner's success is measured by their competency in both theory and practical.

The pioneer class of the new curriculum is currently in Grade 5 and will transit to Grade 6 in April this year, which also marks the end of primary school.

In the curriculum, learners will sit Continuous Assessment Tests at the end of Grades 4, 5 and 6 to form the final mark at the end of primary school.

Grading of schools will also be non-existent in the new curriculum.

However, West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio expressed reservations with the motion on helping students who failed to sit national exams.

Poghisio questioned the use of the word ‘disappearance,’ which he said may create the impression that something such as some kind of rapture is happening to learners.

“They have just failed to present themselves to do the exams. What are the circumstances? So, those are the things we need to think about,” he said.

He urged chiefs, teachers and parents in the affected areas to explain what is happening to learners.

“Early pregnancies do not stop people from sitting exams. What are these issues that are stopping children from doing exams?” Poghisio said.

Embu county director of education James Kairu said the pupils were not found meaning they missed the national test.

Kairu further said that some of the missing learners were from families which were evicted from a contested piece of land believed to be under the ownership of the Tana and Athi River Development Authority.

Candidates are set to begin their third week of KCSE on Monday.

They will sit Physics Paper 1 and Geography Paper 1 on Monday, as well as Business Studies Paper 1 and Agriculture Paper 1. 


(edited by Amol Awuor)