By Azael Masese
Education stakeholders have called for a complete overhaul with the manner Kenya National Examinations Council manages national examinations.
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) National Chairman Omboko Milemba castigated the way examiners are treated during the exercise.
During the union’s Annual Delegates Conference held at Kenyatta University, Kitui Campus, Milemba took issue with the council as teachers sleep on the floor.
He said the union will lead negotiations with the council to explore how better to improve the welfare of teachers who participate in the invigilation, supervision and marking of the exercise.
“KUPPET calls upon KNEC that we have a whole year from 2020 to go and prepare well for the national exercise,” he said.
Though he stated that no paper should draw a minimum of Sh200, the Emuhaya MP later stated that the union will lead further negotiations on the same issue.
“This will be the first project of the union and we declare that the supervisors, invigilated, centre organisers and examiners and respected and well remunerated,” he stated.
“Never again shall the union and look and observe as teachers who are examiners are poorly paid and supervised like nursery school kids in schools,” he said.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Chair Kahi Indimuli added his voice to the issue and asked for an audit on the exercise.
“While I give it to KUPPET to discuss on issues of remuneration, time has come that we need to take audit on everything pertaining to examinations,” he stated.
Markers at Machakos Girls’ High School downed their tools over underpayment in marking a Business Studies paper and demanded better enhanced pay.
The examiners stated that they were being paid Sh48 per paper unlike other subjects which attract about Sh60.
“I want to continue asking that there must be good dialogue where teachers can talk and listen to each other and not at each other,” he stated.
Indimuli, who was sent to understand what was going on and find a solution at Machakos Girls’ urged KUPPET to negotiate and avoid talking at each other.
He stated that he would like KNEC to take audit of the welfare by relooking at the marking of the examinations.
“We are doing a paper to the council with proposals on how examination as this has to be relooked into,” Kahi, who is also the Machakos Boys’ Principal stated.
Issues regarding examinations, he stated, must be taken seriously especially those on sick candidates who are forced to sit the examinations from the hospital beds
He argued that once a doctor declares a person sick and requires to be admitted, then the doctor has judged that the person is not in the right senses.
“Why do we appear there with exam papers?” he posed, adding that this amounts to gross inequity?” he posed.
He urged KNEC to explore the possibility having supplementary and special examinations for the affected candidates, stating that KESSHA is working on a proposal on the same and will be shared once ready.
KUPPET National Secretary General Akelo Misori called on KNEC to align its policies and regulations to certain realities of life where exams must be realistic and conform to the basic tenets.
“How do you subject a teacher to sleep on the floor and hurry because you want to beat the deadline?” he posed.
He termed it unacceptable for teachers to be under pressure to start working from 6am to 10pm as some teachers penalized on flimsy grounds and there must be revision on the regulations.
