Let's all ensure success of national examinations

Today marks the start of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examination. The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam is expected to pick up pace this week after the initial practical papers.

Worth of note is that this year’s KCPE exam is the last, marking the end of the 8-4-4 system of education that has been replaced with CBC. The 8-4-4 system of education was rolled out in 1985 to replace the 7-4-2-3 system. CBC, on the other hand, was piloted in 2016. About 1.4 million and 1.2 million candidates will sit their KCPE and KPSEA examinations, respectively. Needless to say, these exams mark a turning point in the lives of each of the candidates and will determine what trajectory their future academic paths take. Hence, they are critical.

The integrity of these exams must be upheld and jealously guarded, unlike in the past when exam cheating became the norm rather than the exception. Exam cheating allows students to proceed to the next level of education for which they are not well prepared. In the end, this gives the country graduates who barely understand their areas of specialisation.

Already, there have been attempts to cheat, but the government is on the lookout and, thankfully, the Teachers Service Commission has banned teachers from joining at least 33 media sites it suspects could abet exam cheating.

In all, however, candidates must be allowed to sit their exams in a conducive environment that allows them to concentrate. It is here that the Internal Security ministry must prove its worth by guaranteeing security to all candidates irrespective of where they are in the country.

Only last week, bandits were reported to have attacked a school in West Pokot, which, no doubt, caused panic and doubt among residents and students. The government must pull out all the stops to ensure no such incidents occur during exams. To all candidates, good luck.