Return marked scripts to candidates

Our education system provides for the administration of annual national examinations at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

However, it is intriguing that bodies like the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) and the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (Kasneb) release examination results, but inexplicably, retain candidates’ marked scripts.

Universities, too, return marked continuous assessment scripts to students but hang on to the marked end-of-semester exam papers which, notably, carry the bulk of marks, usually about 70 per cent of the total score in a semester.

Retaining marked scripts veils the examination process in a shroud of mystery and easily raises a degree of distrust regarding authenticity of candidates’.

Interestingly, these examination bodies recruit most of their examiners from the body of teachers in various levels of education, who are well versed in the administration of CATs as well as end of session examinations.

Marked diligently

They mark the school-based exams and return scripts to the learners for revision. This practice holds true for inter-school, divisional and district level evaluation. It must, therefore, be baffling to national examiners that the scripts they mark so diligently are never returned to candidates.

In education parlance, returning marked scripts constitutes an integral feedback component that rationalises and completes the examination process.

Feedback reinforces learners’ strengths and identifies their weaknesses. It is also a convention that demonstrates transparency in the awarding of marks, which are a requisite for conferment of academic honours, prizes or admission to the next level of learning.

In the business of knowledge acquisition, this feedback must be trustworthy. It becomes disconcerting, questionable and unprofessional if an instructor releases candidates’ results but fails to return marked scripts.

When KNEC, Kasneb, universities and other examination bodies retain marked scripts, they deny learners the chance to identify with a transparent, indisputable and trusted process.

Veneer of secrecy

This retention introduces a veneer of secrecy and smacks of a deliberate effort at making esoteric that which, honestly, should be unconcealed information.

From this perspective, acceptance of results remains vulnerable to conjecture, suspicions of favouritism or speculation of manipulation, giving rise to possible dissatisfaction with the released scores.

An aggrieved candidate seeking remarking of any paper is required to pay a hefty fee. Last I checked, KNEC was charging Sh750 per KCSE paper. Such a steep figure is surely intended to dissuade candidates from seeking the services.

Chapter Four, Article 35 of the new Constitution espouses the right of Kenyans to access all information. The marking by an examiner as indicated by their writings on a candidate’s script constitutes crucial information, which forms a basis for the academic progress, career advancement or condemnation of a learner.

After the expiry of the 30-day period KNEC provides for candidates to appeal for remarking, all scripts should be returned to their rightful owners.

{Kennedy Maranga, via e-mail}

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