Ranking of schools during the release of national examinations results must be reviewed and a realistic measure of evaluating performance adopted, a new report has proposed.
The education task force says evaluation of schools' performance should be used to inform Kenyans on institutions that attained the basic minimum academic pass mark.
"Schools could be ranked by how many of their students have surpassed the 50 per cent pass mark," reads the report.
It further says the focus on schools recognition should be based on the quality of services they deliver.
The report cites improved access, attendance, attainment in learning achievement and ensuring retention and completion rates as the key benchmarks that should be considered for schools performance rating.
The Kilemi Mwiria team also says that performance in non-academic areas should be evaluated.
"The clamour accompanying announcements of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education needs to be lessened, especially with regard to ranking top schools and students," reads the report.
The recommendation comes days after Education PS Bellio Kipsang said Kenyans must debate whether schools' ranking system should remain.
HONEST EVALUATION
He said the ministry is seriously reviewing the manner in which Standard Eight and Form Four national examinations are handled. "There is need for an honest evaluation of exams. We must re-look at this entire process from the setting, invigilation, marking and release of examinations," said Kipsang.
He said the process could be the contributing factor to the incessant examination irregularities.
"We have been reporting many cases of cheating," he said.
He added: "We must think about this. It may be part of our problem. We are making exams to be very high stakes."
The task force now proposes a radical shift in schools' recognition and ranking during release of examination results. Kipsang said the ministry is mulling over demystifying the examinations to ease pressure from the various stakeholders. "We may just need the Kenya National Examination Council chief executive secretary and a few officials call the press and release the examination results. The schools and candidates can then be referred to the website for their results," he said.
He said every year, teachers get anxious just like the candidates, with the society also mounting pressure on them to perform. "How do we release our examinations? Is it contributing in any way on cheating? As we rank schools, do we need to create a debate? Could this be part of the problem," he asked.
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