State now allows teachers to stay away from school during exams

 

The Gov

The Government has directed teachers who are not involved in the administration of national examinations to stay at home.PHOTO: COURTESY

ernment has directed teachers who are not involved in the administration of national examinations to stay at home.

The authorities have also announced more measures to prevent cheating in the exams.

In changes announced by three Cabinet secretaries yesterday, candidates sitting for examinations will be required to carry their geometrical instruments and writing materials in a see-through bag.

Geometrical boxes and clipboards have been banned.

Also banned are mathematical tables and calculators for exams that do not require them.

The use of mobile phones within the precincts of the examination centres has also been banned for all involved.

Head teachers and principals will act as examination centre managers and will be required to collect examination materials daily. They will return the scripts at the end of the tests.

CALL CENTRE

In addition, a call centre has been established to receive and filter communication from members of the public concerning the conduct of the examinations.

The call centre number is 0800724900.

The Ministry of Interior has set up a command and control centre to co-ordinate all activities related to the administration of exams.

However, the directive for teachers to stay away appears to contradict a previous directive by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who had ordered all teachers to continue reporting to their work stations during the examinations period.

The previous directive put the CS on a collision course with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), who told teachers not involved in the examinations to stay away from the centres.

Speaking at the Kenya School of Adventure and Leadership (Kesal), Dr Matiang’i said the ministry had consulted widely with the Teachers Service Commission and agreed that all teachers not involved in exams administration stay at home.

“We have made extensive consultations with TSC and we have resolved that teachers who will not take part in the administration of examinations to take a holiday,” he said.

Only head teachers, principals and teachers involved in practical examinations will be allowed into examination centres.

Matiang’i was speaking at the start of a multi-sectoral approach to the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination administration workshop.

The workshop, which ends on Saturday, brought together three ministries involved in the examination process - the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

It was attended by all regional and county commissioners, county police commanders, county education officers, TSC officials and Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) officials.

Matiang’i, Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru addressed a joint press conference and assured Kenyans that proper measures had been put in place to curb examination leaks or cheating.

Mr Nkaissery said security had been enhanced in all examinations centres.

The ICT ministry said the latest technology would be used to mark and grade the 2016 national examinations.

“All systems have been reviewed. These systems will employ intensive ICT,” said Mr Mucheru.