Supreme Court ruling blow to 1.6m exam candidates

Class eight pupils from Golden Elite School in Kisumu County in prayer ahead of last year’s KCPE examination

The Supreme Court ruling has dealt a major blow to more than 1.6 million candidates preparing to sit this year's national examinations. The move means that political campaigns are likely to interfere with the smooth administration of the tests.

The universities academic calendar could also be affected, as it was not immediately clear whether the institutions will open next week as scheduled.

Higher institutions of learning have already lost four weeks during the just concluded elections as their opening dates were postponed twice to allow the Supreme Court make a determination.

Academic research

This semester is often the busiest as most universities schedule graduation ceremonies. This means deadlines for academic research work for most programmes lapse within this semester.

Vice Chancellors of public universities who spoke to Saturday Standard yesterday said some students may extend their study period as they may not have completed the academic desertions in time.

It was also not clear if admission of 88,626 first year students will be done as scheduled.

However, management of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations will remain the biggest challenge for the government as political campaigns hit fever pitch during the entire examination period in November.

The court ruling means that the elections will be held by November, when Standard Eight candidates will be sitting Science, Kiswahili Lugha and Insha.

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) exam timetable shows that Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations will last three days, starting October 31 to November 2.

Mathematics, English language and composition will be done on first day of the examination. The three-day examination will end on November 2, with Science and Religious Studies papers. A total of 1,003,556 candidates registered for the KCPE examinations.

More than 615,773 KCSE examinations candidates will suffer more if the calendar is not adjusted. The KNEC timetable says that KCSE written examinations will kick off on November 6.

The month-long examinations will end on November 29. Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang' said yesterday that the Ministry of Education will issue a comprehensive statement. "We are alive to the developments and we shall communicate," said Kipsang'.

Schools opened this week and third term takes only eight weeks. This means that pupils will be remaining with only seven weeks to the end of the term. The school calendar shows that schools are set to close by October 29 to allow students sit for the KCPE and KCSE examinations.

But education stakeholders yesterday asked the Ministry to convene a meeting to discuss the sector in light of the court ruling.

Urgent meeting

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Private Schools Association and Elimu Yetu Coalition proposed the meeting be held next week.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) and the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) officials also called for an urgent meeting to sort out the issue. "We will have a meeting and agree on the sector," said Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

The sentiments were shared by Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori. Mr Misori said the education sector is critical and must be discussed soberly.

Private Schools Chief Executive Peter Ndoro said the meeting should be convened next week. "The education sector will be most hit and we must move fast to discuss the developments," said Ndoro.

Kessha National Chairman Kahi Indimulu said candidates are ready for the examinations but asked for a favourable environment to sit the tests.

"We are sure that the government will make arrangements necessary to foster smooth administration of the examinations," observed Ndoro.