The Ministry of Education (MoE) has invited all its field directors to attend a stakeholders’ briefing on the new grading system for KCSE examination in Nairobi tomorrow.
According to an internal memo dated September 19, 2023 and signed by PS Belio Kipsang, the Ministry asks all Regional, County and Sub-County directors to report at New Mtihani House, South C, Nairobi for the forum that begins at 9 a.m.
“The Kenya National Examination Council invites you to a Stakeholders Meeting to discuss the the proposed New Grading System for KCSE Examination and the launch of the 2023 National examination season on Monday, September 25, 2023 at the New Mtihani House, South C, from 9.00 am” says the letter also copied to the Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu.
MOE had recently revealed that it was going to implement a new KCSE grading system that will take into account the literacy and numeracy abilities of learners.
The PS made these remarks during a briefing on the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) to the members of the Departmental Committee on Education of the National Assembly, led by Deputy Chairperson Malulu Injendi, at a Mombasa hotel.
Dr. Kipsang said it would allow for the overall grading of the learners to include the best five subjects rather than grading them across subject clusters as was the norm since the inception of the 8.4.4 system of education.
The PWPER report recommended a review of the KCSE grading system to conform to tinternational standards that equalizes with the grading of students of similar levels.
The PS said that the grading in any national education system is for certification and not placement of students in higher education adding that the grading structure favouring placement has disadvantaged many students with different orientations in abilities and interests.
He however said that students of the remaining 8.4.4 cohort will be graded according to their performance in five subjects in addition to their grades in Mathematics and either English or Kiswahili.
Dr. Kipsang said that a student with ability and interest in Medicine or Engineering for instance. need not be prevented from qualifying for the courses just because a subject that was used to grade him pulled down his or her overall Mean Grade.
Dr. Kipsang said the recommendations by PWPER are about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of education services.
By Our Reporter
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