By Amoto Ndiewo
Kenya National Examination Council’s (KNEC) new directive to raise national examination candidature to at least 40 students per centre has elicited sharp criticism from both public and private school heads in north eastern region.
The new KNEC directive issued in a circular (KNEC GEN/CS/PRO/ CIR/DEC/2021/02/rev7.2 dated 18th May ,2021 on registration of 2021 KCPE and KCSE candidates signed by the exam bodies outgoing CEO, Dr Mercy Karogo raises the national exam candidature from the previous number of least 14 to at least 40 students per centre.
In the circular the acting examination chief said that a centre that has over 40 candidates as determined by sub county directors will be allowed register for the national examination. In the previous standing KNEC barred exam centres having between 6 and 14 candidates for either KCPE or KCSE examinations.
Karogo said the new directive starts with both examinations in 2021 examinations early next year.
The condition set by the council is that host school must be within the sub counties and served by the same KNEC examination distribution point located at the Deputy County Commissioner compound country wide.
The Garissa KESSHA chapter chair Mohamud Dubat said that both public and private schools are going to be affected adversely by the directive which has not taken many countywide situations on the ground into account.
“How does the council expect the directive to be implemented in remote area like north eastern region with few and far apart schools?, and adding insult to injury these schools have low enrolment,’’ protested Dubat the head teacher of Fafi Girls High school .
The same sentiments were expressed by the Garissa chapter KNUT Executive Secretary Abdirizak Hussein. Hussein said the directive undermines public private partnership that has promoted access to both primary and secondary school in the arid region like Garissa.
“ We are expressing our deep concern by writing over the matter since this decision was made without consultation with the key education stakeholders,’’ said the KNUT chief.
Hussein pointed out that it was an abuse of doctrine of stakeholder participation and an attack on the enrolment of both private and public schools.
“ It is unfortunate that some students are yet to report to our teacher starved schools due to the biting drought in Garissa county and now comes this directive which will definitely disrupt the access and progress made in expanding provision of quality education ,’’ said Hussein .
The chairman of Kenya Private Schools Association Garissa chapter Abdimalik Jabar said the directive is in bad taste since schools are few and far apart.
“Under such circumstances who is going to foot the transport and accommodation cost?’’ he posed, adding, “the directive favours the big schools but not small strugglers.’’
The circular which states that the head teacher is the only authorized person to collect the examination materials from the container at DCC collection point and co-ordinate and conduct the exam and return of the candidates’ answer scripts to the container, further directs sub county directors to submit lists of host examination centres for March /April 2021 KCPE and KCSE examinations by August 15th 2021.
