As the Ministry of Education prepares to flag off the grade 6,9 and form four examinations by the end of this month and early next month, residents of Kisii and Nyamira counties have raised varied concerns on the parents’, teachers’, and students’ preparedness for the examinations.
Majority who spoke to Education News expressed fear of the success of the pioneering grade 6 and 9 examinations under the new Competence Based Curriculum.
They said that this year will present the highest number of candidates because they will consist of three cohorts sitting the National examinations of different levels.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba recently said that in this year, the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) will present 3.4 million candidates in the Junior Secondary Schools and 1.2 in the grade six examinations, saying that the number is huge but assured parents that their children will sit for their examinations without any problem.
“There is no fear for capitation funds and the examinations which will start soon because we have taken the candidates’ data and each of them will be catered for as the money will be sent to them in every evening after they have completed tackling each paper.” He said.
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Most teachers and parents have given their response on the Junior Secondary Schools examinations that are scheduled on 17 – 21 next month.
Dr Eric Onsongo of Kisii University said that most Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in the country do not have adequate and standard infrastructure, facilities and equipment, saying these might negatively impact the progress of the examinations.
David Mayaka, the Principal of Endereti Secondary School in Kenyenya Subcounty, said most schools have no modern laboratories and enough equipment for laboratories to enable learners to conduct their experiments with ease.
While he lauded the CBC system of education because it prepares students earlier to discover their career pathways, he asked the government to provide enough learning materials to schools to enable the system achieve its noble goals.
He asked the Ministry of Education to allow students to go to school with their smart phones because the Competency Based Education (CBE) is based on the modern digital era.
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“Let the Ministry of education allow parents to buy smart phones for their children and come with them to school to enable them research and actualize what they learn.” He said
The Principal asked Schools’s Management Committees to put aside money meant for facilitating learning in the ever demanding CBE system.
James Makori Mosigisi and Eric Morara Momanyi from Nyamira County said that the government has not trained enough teachers to handle the CBE pupils in the JSS classes and asked them to identify those gaps and fill them.
They equated the Competency Based Curriculum to a child who has been born on the road by its unprepared mother but should not be left to die by the passersby as the weak mother struggles to gain strengths after birth.
They asked parents to support their children to sit for this year’s examinations successfully by providing them with a quiet environment.
By Enock Okong’o.
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