Education CS Matiang’i calls for deregistration of schools involved in KCSE exam cheating

Wambua Ron Kivasu of Lenana School celebrate with family members and friends at home in Nakuru on December 20 after he scored A- of 77 points in the just released KCSE results . [Photo:Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to deregister schools found culpable of examination cheating.

Matiang’i said despite measures taken to curb cheating, some teachers still conspired with candidates in a bid to cheat in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.

Declaring he was determined to make an example of a school in Rift Valley whose principal had gone to great lengths to facilitate cheating, Matiang’i said a multi-disciplinary committee had been set to exhaustively investigate all cases.

“We are going to undertake further analysis of the results of the schools involved in examination malpractice.

"We will involve experts in the process. The schools will be deregistered immediately if found culpable of mishandling the examination,” he said.

The CS said a report of all the 10 schools will be released on January 18.

Matiang’i said they are probing the public school in Rift Valley which had given the government a headache for attempting to assist its candidates to cheat.

In the course of the examination period, top Department of Criminal Investigations officers, police, education and administration officials had placed the school on the spotlight.

"At one point, the principal threw mobile phones in a bucket with water so as to destroy evidence after he was caught. Disciplinary action will be taken against him,” he explained.

The CS said it forced some senior Education officials and security officers to frequently visit the school following mounting pressure some cases of examination cheating noted at the school.

The CS also ordered the board of the schools dissolved immediately and added that the matter will be tabled in parliament.

Matiang’i however said that they will act without mercy to the schools involved in examination cheating which will set an example to the rest.

The CS cited a school candidates hide cellphone in bucket of water to avoid being detected and to destroy evidence.

“We are taking drastic measures to the school and the teachers involved. The school will set example to the rest and the measures we are taking is no joke. This is about securing the lives of our children because we want to raise responsible children,” Matiang’i said.

He said some five candidates were disqualified after they were found engaging in cheating.

The CS was however unhappy with the pace of dealing with cases of cheating by the courts saying that some cases dating back to 2009 had not yet been resolved.  He said that a multi-agency team had been directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure that all the 2015-2016 examination cheating cases were resolved.

“The biggest task of the reforms was to dismantle the well-organized cartels that had made examinations a business from which they minted millions of shillings at the altar of the credibility of our (examinations) certificates and qualifications. The cartels cared little about the place of our graduates in the national and international job market,” read part of the Statement.

He said in the last 24 month after the introduction of sectoral reforms including experts from various ministries and department, had dismantled the examination cheating cartels.