Students, others must help Knec end cheating

Exam season is back and, with it, renewed emphasis on catching cheats. The involvement of teachers, police officers, parents, peers, students and others reflects a corruption of social standards. It is sad that each year must see an escalation of measures to deter those trying to cheat. As long as educational options for those who fail to secure limited places in higher institutions remain limited, there will be an incentive to cheat.

There is no telling how many of the candidates who sit examinations in any given year manage to get away with cheating.

Following the introduction of new rules by the Kenya National Examination Council in recent years, their statistics showed a spike in numbers of those caught, then a drop. This might suggest that the 2,000 or so caught every year may reflect a sizeable proportion of those who try. Whether this is the case or not, the key to reducing cheating further is involvement of the hundreds of thousands of others who want to play by the rules.

While Knec can impose stricter measures and think up smarter ways to thwart cheats, it would fare better if it had the active support of honest candidates, teachers, parents and others.

Ethical behaviour achieved in fear of punishment is fine. Better still is to teach children the value of honest earnings, of merit, and of speaking the truth. After all, as we wish the candidates sitting the Certificate of Secondary Education exams this week success, we expect they have done more than learn to cram information — they have learned to seek truth.