We are ready to administer exams under trees, says KNEC

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed flanked by Kenya National of Examination Council (KNEC) chair George Magoha and other leaders address press at Kisumu Girls High School on July 10, 2018. [Denish Ochieng/Standard]

National exams will not be postponed despite the ongoing unrest in schools, a State agency has said.

The Kenya National Examinations Council claimed the ongoing unrest was a diversionary tactic by students to enable them to avoid the tests.

The council's chairman, George Magoha, yesterday said preparations for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations were complete.

“Stop burning schools or throwing tantrums. The exams are ready and we will not be moved. If you like, burn more, but we will administer the examinations even under trees,” said Prof Magoha.

He was speaking at Kisumu Girls High School where he and Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed had gone to assess the impact of student unrest in the region. Kisumu Girls is one of the schools that was closed indefinitely after unrest. It is expected to be reopened next week.

According to Magoha, students were getting carried away by cartels claiming to have papers that could help them pass the national examinations.

Currently safe

He said the examinations were safe in the council’s custody and would only get to the students on the day they are sitting particular papers.

“We are not going to be intimidated by acts of hooliganism. There are no other ways you will access the exams. It is three months to exams and a normal student should be settled, studying and getting prepared for the exams. Don’t waste your time,” he said.

He asked school heads not to rush students to complete the syllabus, saying the schools had until September to clear it.

Ms Mohamed said her ministry was working with the relevant government departments to investigate the unrest, and that appropriate action would be taken against those found responsible.

She said at least three students had been arrested in Kisumu County over the ongoing unrest in schools, and that such cases would be handled as criminal acts.

“We want to make sure that our schools are places of learning, and we are not going to relent on this. We cannot allow unacceptable criminal activities and we are following very many leads into who are responsible,” said Mohamed.

Right time

She added that the investigations would also look into the concerns raised by students, and that these would be addressed at the right time.

She, however, reiterated that the delocalisation of teachers would not be halted due to the unrest, saying it was a practice in the public service.

Elsewhere, the Government has commended teachers in the Coast region for helping avert incidents of unrest that have affected other parts of the country, leading to the closure of several learning institutions.

Speaking at Shimo la Tewa, a national school in Mombasa County, yesterday, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the Coast region had experienced relatively low cases of student unrest since an upsurge had been reported in other areas.

''We must commend education stakeholders and students in the region for being calm. We have only five cases unrest that have reported in Msambwerni, Galana, Ganze and Magarini areas,'' the PS said.

School property

He warned that any acts of arson that lead to destruction of school property or infrastructure would be punished with the full force of the law.

At the same time, the PS said work to relocate the Mama Ngina Girls School from its current location to Shanzu in Mombasa North was ongoing.

The PS said he had visited the school and was assured that infrastructure at its new site would be ready by January 2019.