Don’t be tempted to cheat in KCSE

Form Four students start their exams on Wednesday. And this is the time unscrupulous individuals target gullible students and sell them fake exam papers.

This practice has been going on for several years without fail. It appears that during exam time, there are students who easily confused into forgetting what they have learnt over the past four years.

They soon find themselves wasting precious time making business transactions through the school fence or outside the school compound with these individuals. Later, they belatedly realise the exam papers were not genuine.

The Ministry of Education must liase with the police to stamp out this practice.

{Aghawo Tonny, Kisumu}

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination is finally here.

Candidates are preparing to write the papers, which will determine the next step in their academic journey. However, does a man get what he wants or what he deserves?

Everybody is rewarded according to his or her efforts. Even the Bible states that he who doesn’t work deserves no food. Students have been known to solicit for leakage by smuggling cell phones into examination rooms or cheat by carrying mwakenyas for illegal reference.

Some even go to the extent of bribing invigilators to be allowed to indulge in these malpractices.

However, honesty is the best policy. Believe in what you have learnt in the last four years and you’ll sail through.

It’s said that "success is never final and failure is never fatal". What matters most is courage. The late Stephen Maruge, the oldest pupil in the world, made it to Standard Seven because of his resilience and determination. Exams are just but ladders to your destiny, and destiny comes from within and not from without. It lies in excelling in all that you do.

Believe, hope and expect the best of yourself. Never underestimate your power to develop and accomplish. Hard work never goes unrewarded although luck does prevail in rare instances.

Say no to stolen exam papers. I applaud the tough penalties imposed by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) on those found cheating.

Security must also be tightened when the exams are being transported. All the best and good luck, but don’t cheat.

{Kipkurui Rono, via e-mail}

The decision by Knec to do away with afternoon exams is laudable. It is a step that should have been taken yesterday. However, those who cheat must be reminded that mundane minds never go far due to lack of creativity innovation and imagination.

{Edwin Rono, via e-mail}

The Education ministry’s policy not to rank schools based on examination performance was spot on. However, the onus is on the ministry to contain the cancer of cheating that is so rampant.

Stakeholders must device watertight measures to ensure exams are set and administered fairly.

They must also work at bridging the huge resource gaps between schools.

Most important, however, is for the ministry to review the policy of using a single examination in a four year period to measure performance.

{Tome Francis, Bumula}