Ever since he was moved from the ICT ministry where he often engaged with media players in boardroom brawls, Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has proved himself a fresh breath of air in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Cabinet.
On Wednesday, Dr Matiang’i outlined new measures to curb runaway exam cheating in schools. His action was prompted by outspread exam-cheating that led to the cancellation of results for some 5,100 candidates in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary exams, a 70 per cent rise compared to 2014.
So in a bid to cut down on exam cheating, Dr Matiang’i has banned all non-academic activities during the third term of the school calendar. These include a ban on prayer meetings involving outsiders and visiting days; usually held a few days before exams commence. This ban comes against the backdrop of a shakeup at the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) which the minister instituted in March after he fired the previous board and installed a new one.
No doubt, exam-cheating undermines years of hard work and sacrifice put in by parents, teachers and students. Cheating kills the wonderful spirit of competition and undermines the trust in merit. When he sent home the much-discredited Knec team, Dr Matiang’i sought to reclaim Kenya’s status as an academic giant in the region, which despite the colossal investment, standards have worryingly dropped. Employers report of graduates with little or no problem-solving skills despite testimonials and certificates with high-flying marks.
Looked at broadly, a compromised exam process is symptomatic of a rotten education system. And therefore, restoring confidence in exams is one way to redeem. Indeed, a tainted exam system tells a lot more: it speaks about an education system that glorifies grades rather than skills and knowledge. Where rote learning is promoted in place of practical and logical application of skills and knowledge. In these circumstances, learning becomes an endless endeavour to pass exams and not to acquire critical thinking skills to solve practical problems in life and at the workplace. That must stop.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join