By Augustine Oduor

The debate on reforming Kenya’s education sector elicited strong reactions as Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) warned against scrapping the 8-4-4 system, arguing it is the best in the region.

Knec opposed the proposal by Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) and challenged those against the system to produce tangible research-based evidence against it.

In his proposals to the Education Review Task force, Knec Chief Executive Paul Wasanga defended the assessment methods under the system, saying they provide the true measure of value added progress.

Mr Wasanga said the country is not ready for school-based continuous assessment tests as has been proposed by some scholars and ruled out its viability in the Kenyan context.

Proposals have been made to allow students sit only one national exam at the end of secondary education to determine their admission to higher training institutions.

If the proposal is adopted school-based assessment tests could replace Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams done at the end of eight-year primary school studies.

Assessment

Proponents of the idea argue that the new system will place less emphasis on exams, as teachers would concentrate more on teaching.

Wasanga poked holes into the recommendations arguing that for continuous assessments to succeed and some measure of fairness realised, proper infrastructure must be put in place.

"We must have teachers of almost the same level of training, same environment, facilities and books, for it all to work," he said.

The Knec boss said teachers must be trained to set examinations and do assessments, if marks awarded are to be of standard value.

"A teacher who did not teach well will give good marks just like one who taught well. And that is their assessment. But how can you know the best student without a standardised external exam?" he posed.

He argued that KCPE is still the true reflection of accumulated progress for eight years of study and clearly shows students who worked hard. "Show evidence why eight years must be reduced because it was reached out of a decision based on research. Why six years and not seven or nine?" he questioned.

Critics say the 16-year system failed to orient youth towards technical and vocational careers or equip them with appropriate living skills.

In her proposals to the Education Review Taskforce, KIE Director Lydia Nzomo maintained that students should sit only one national exam at the end of secondary education.

She said the school-based exams undertaken at that level will be purely for purposes of quality assurance, and all pupils will be promoted to the next level of education.

Ms Nzomo challenged Knec to develop a bank of assorted questions for teachers for the continuous assessments in schools.

But Wasanga cautioned the country against adopting systems where people simply move on to higher levels without working hard.

"It has failed in Zimbabwe where all students went to secondary. KCPE only tells after eight years how somebody has performed," he said.

Kenya National Union of Teachers national chairman Wilson Sosion warned against scraping the 8-4-4 system, saying it could plunge the country into a crisis.

"I am a teacher and I know the system is good. Adopting a new system will be too costly," he said.

Sammy Kubasu, the chairman of the Universities Academic Staff Union, said primary education years should be reduced to seven.