KCPE and KCSE face scrapping

By Augustine Oduor

Standard Eight and Form Four national examinations could soon be scrapped if the recommendations of a Task Force set up to review the education system are adopted. The exams whose hallmark has been cutthroat competition among schools, and which hold the key to good secondary places and lucrative university courses, might be replaced with a list of assessment tests spread across the learning system.

Education Minister Sam Ongeri set up the Task

Force chaired by renowned scholar and former Moi

University Vice-Chancellor Douglas Odhiambo in February. Its mandate was to recommend ways to realign the education system with the new Constitution and to also help Kenya achieve the broad-based and accessible education programme promised by the new laws.

Also set to face adjustment with the exams administered by Kenya National Examination Council is the school annual calendar – currently made up of three terms of three months each.

It also proposes a new education system, which unlike 8-4-4, which stretches for 16 years, would run for 17 years – that is if a child does not repeat a class.

In this proposal, pupils would complete two years in Early Childhood Development Education, six years in primary, another six years at secondary, and at least three years at the university.

County assessment

The Draft Interim Report of the Task Force also suggests that all middle-level colleges should offer certificate and diploma courses with universities restricted to degree courses, a break from the current system of mixed offers.

The six-year learning at primary will be split into lower primary from class one to three, after which a county assessment would be done.

The upper primary would start from Standard Four to Six after which a national assessment would be dispensed to all candidates.

According to the proposal, secondary school education would also be divided into junior and senior secondary stages from Form One to Three. The Senior Secondary School section runs from Senior Four to Senior Six.

The proposal says the system would be important because learners would be allowed to identify areas of specialisation early enough in their education career.

"It would avoid overstay in any level of education, avoid wastage of school leavers by accessing junior secondary school level, and also improve competencies, skills, and innovations."

The report also says the system would revitalise middle-level colleges and make diploma courses prestigious.

Evaluation under the new system would be done at five levels as opposed to two levels under the current system of education.

Since 1985, Kenya has followed the 8-4-4 system of education (eight years of primary, four years secondary and four years university education for basic degree).

Early childhood education and adult education also feature in this system of education, although not formally presented in the education structure.

Under the 8-4-4 system the objectives of primary schooling include providing learning opportunities, which enable pupils to acquire basic knowledge and skills for the world of work in the context of economic and human resource needs of the nation.

The 8-4-4 system has featured prominently in the national political and academic debate, with the discussions centred on its relevance, efficiency, and cost to both the parents and the Government.

In the proposed system, pre-school learners would sit school-based examinations as the lower primary sits county examinations while Upper primary, junior high and senior high would sit national examinations overseen by Knec.

The Task Force says the county assessment would be used to identify strengths of the pupils whereas the national assessments would help students identify directions in terms of specialisation.

Earlier in the system, child care will precede Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) at which point only school-based assessment will be given to the pupils whose age is tentatively put at four to five years.

In the new structure, junior secondary schools will be set up from the existing primary schools. All the existing secondary schools will become high schools and all boarding schools will be made National schools.

"By making all boarding institutions national schools, the structure would promote national cohesion and integration," said the report.

Each university will specialise on specific areas of knowledge to be identified by individual institutions, reads the report.

It recommends uniform assessment to be introduced in universities to ensure students do not leave the institutions schools half-baked.

"This will also help employers to compare potential employees results and place them in departments in which they would be productive and use their talents and skills said," said a summary of report, which is still undergoing review.

The report also suggests that school years be divided into two terms of five months each – with First term starting in September to January followed by Second term in February to June.

Practical subjects

The first two weeks of vacation would be held in December and the longest vacation of two months between July and August.

The reports says the new school term will serve to increase learning time to solve the holiday tuition problem, realign school calendar to financial year and also to provide time for elections. July-August holidays can be used to mark examinations.

The task force recommended Term One is assessed at end of January and Term Two in June. In a departure from the current practice, national examinations will be done between May and June, preceded by marking until July for results to be released between July and August.

On National Assessment System and National Qualification Framework, the taskforce proposes a uniform curriculum to be taught in Early Childhood because they are the formative ages for children and recommends that various interests and subjects be nurtured at this level.

"This will also be used as a mechanism to curtail rogue ECDE institutions that do not offer quality education, as these are on the rise," the summarised report adds.

The report says currently, examinations are uniform across the country. The report proposes that practical subjects be included in primary school curriculum and students assessed on them.

The report says that the main challenge facing Knec is maintaining integrity of the examinations and alluded to the past complaints and errors. According to Kenya Secondary Schools Head Association) non-examinable subjects should be introduced from Standard Six to allow pupils develop their talents, skills and competencies while examinable subjects in primary schools should be reduced.