Admission register to replace index numbers for candidates

A Form One student waits to be admitted at Anestar Boys High School Lanet, Nakuru. [Standard]

The Ministry of Education has introduced a new way of giving index numbers to candidates in primary and secondary schools. The candidates will have their index numbers issued, not based on their performance in class, but admission to their schools.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo has instructed primary and secondary school heads to ensure candidates are allocated index numbers based on the admissions list.

“All candidates for both KCPE and KCSE examination will be issued with an index number as per the school admission register, not class performance, as was the case in previous years,” reads the guidelines signed by Mrs Karogo.

It emerged that the old indexing system saw thousands of students suffer prejudice even in their later lives, and many others deemed failures based on the old listing method.

“We have had cases where candidates who have lower index numbers resign to fate and start to think that they cannot perform better in examinations,” said Mrs Karogo.

The details emerged as registration of the candidates for this year’s national examinations started last week.

A circular released by Knec reveals that registration process of candidates started on January 2 and will be concluded on February 15.

The registration instructions have been sent to all heads of primary and secondary schools and sub-county directors.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) national chairman Kahi Indimuli said the proposal was welcome and would help cure cases of unrest in schools.

He said many cases of arson had been a result of fear of examinations used to assign index numbers.

“There has been stigma among students that those with low index numbers are poor performers while those with higher numbers are bright,” said Mr Indimuli.

He said during marking of national examinations, there was likelihood to doubt candidates with low index numbers. “Examiners question how a low index number candidate can score highly because of the perception that they are poor performers based on index numbers. There are cases where poor candidates have done well beating 'bright' ones,” he said.