KNEC bans examiners from offering school motivational talks
By Our Reporter
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has banned its contracted examiners and assessors from facilitating workshops or giving motivational talks to schools this term as schools prepare to sit for national examinations.
The Council cautions that such practices amount to a conflict of interest and could facilitate exam cheating, a vice that the organization has been battling for years to eradicate.
Most schools usually hire different professionals to provide motivational talks to their candidates in an effort to encourage them and psyche them up ahead of the exam season. They are usually paid a small fee for their services.
KNEC hires at least 89,910 KCSE invigilators and supervisors and pays over Ksh 2 billion annually for hiring their services.
In a Circular dated September 13, 2023 (with reference number KNEC/CONF/EA/FAS/EXAM/023/022) the Council’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere has requested all its contracted professionals, examiners or assessors to desist from facilitating such workshops since it paves way for examination leakages.
“It has come to the Council’s attention that some KNEC trained and contracted examiners and assessors have continuously been called upon by various organizations or institutions to facilitate in workshops or to give motivational talks aimed at preparing candidates for national examination,” said Dr. Njengere in the Circular.
“While preparing candidates for examinations, peer learning and enhancing pedagogical skills are good practices, the Council wishes to observe that the Oath of Secrecy which every contracted professional, examiner or assessor signs prohibits among other things, engaging in activities deemed to pose conflict of interest, and divulging one’s identity as a KNEC examiner/assessor,” warned Dr. Njengere.
Data from KNEC shows that some 3.5 million learners will sit national tests this year 2023 where some 1.4 million candidates will sit for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), another 903,260 have registered for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) while 1.2 million will sit for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
