School heads back ban on mock exams

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir distributes mathematics exam papers to std 8 candidates from Majengo Primary in his constituency yesterday during the launching of Mombasa County mock examinations cum term two examinations which was sponsored by the Shariff Nassir foundation, July 31, 2015. The two day mock examination cum second term exams ends today (Saturday). [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) has pledged to embrace the Ministry of Education's directive banning mock examinations. This comes amid a clarification from the ministry that the ban did not include internal mocks.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi over the weekend clarified that individual schools are free to do internal mocks, saying the directive only targeted joint mock examinations. Speaking in Kisumu, Prof Kaimenyi said joint examinations among schools in zonal or regional clusters were banned due to student unrest. Kessha however said the ministry should do more in mainstreaming the education sector in a bid to restore sanity in schools instead of pegging the unrest on mock examinations alone.