Special KCSE exam sparks controversy over repeaters preparation time

Education officails collect KCSE examination materials at Nakuru East Examination distribution center on November 11, 2024. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Concerns have emerged over the mid-year Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) special exams for repeat and absentee candidates as registration enters its third day today. With forced repetition banned by the government, questions are emerging about whether the targeted learners will be allowed to sit in class with the rest of the candidates as they await to sit the tests. Questions are also emerging about whether these candidates will be allowed to bypass the July exams and write the KCSE tests with the present form fours at the end of the year. Also raised is the question of whether the government will pay repeaters tuition fees, given that the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) considers the learners as private candidates. It emerged that secondary schools are keen to admit repeaters to fill up the empty form-one spaces and also to rip from the tuition fees paid by the government of individual parents. These are some of the questions and concerns that education stakeholders are raising as registration for the July examinations gets underway. Registration for the July exam began on Monday and will close on February 21 after a 28-day window. READ: KNEC bars KCSE repeaters from registering for November exams However, parents and other stakeholders have faulted the brief preparation period provided for repeat candidates. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Tuesday said that consultations are ongoing to provide an alternative for candidates seeking to retake classes before sitting the examination. "In situations where they might want to repeat or they might want to go back to Form 3, discussions are going on right now and I have asked the KNEC team to set up a desk so that they can be able to guide and answer the public questions to ensure the process is understood but essentially the purpose of the July exam is not for people to go back to study but to be able to deal with gaps that they got when doing exams," said Ogamba. The CS spoke during the unveiling of four Junior Secondary Schools at Uthiru Primary School. However, the Standard has established that officers within government ranks are pushing for the July exam to cater for repeat candidates. Insider sources say this is due to the bulging number of candidates that is likely to increase exponentially with the anticipated end of KCSE exams set for 2027. It is feared that banding the repeaters with present Form Fours could lead to distress in the administration of the tests during the traditional November/December cycle. Principals who spoke to The Standard however said they have adequate space to accommodate repeaters. However, sitting the examinations in the November/December cycle means that these candidates will wait for another year to be admitted to universities and colleges. "The thinking was to accord them a chance to retake the tests so that they get admissions to universities and colleges this year. Having them sit examinations in July also eases pressure on administration and reduces malpractices," said a senior government official. The special KCSE examination is designed for candidates who missed the KCSE due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness. It will also accommodate those who wish to retake the examination to improve their scores, including candidates who choose to retake specific subjects. Additionally, the examination will cater to individuals whose results were nullified due to malpractice, as well as adult learners who are not enrolled in regular schools but can provide proof of primary education qualifications. "All repeaters and private candidates must register for the July series and not the November KCSE examination series," the KNEC circular reads First-time KCSE candidates are not eligible to register for the July series. ALSO READ: Hurdles await administration of KCSE supplementary exams To register, candidates are required to present their national ID, KCPE certificate, or KCSE certificate/slip (for repeat candidates), along with a passport-sized photograph. A registration fee of KSh 7,200 will also apply. During the launch of the CBC classes, the CS said that they have so far constructed 14,500 classrooms for students in Grade 9. He also said plans are underway for the construction of 1,600 laboratories for Junior schools. "After the classrooms are finalised we will move to construction of laboratories which are necessary for teaching and learning of science subjects in Junior Schools, the government is committed to providing all resources needed to its people," Ogamba said. He said that the Ministry will release Sh15 billion for capitation this week adding to the Sh14 billion released last week. The CS has called for parents to also register for the State-run medical scheme also known as the Social Health Insurance Fund(SHIF). Ogamba said the scheme will benefit learners being dependents of registered parents.

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