CBE assessment and reporting: Time for a unified national approach

Zeraki has made a notable contribution to education technology in Kenya. Its earlier work in analysing and presenting KCSE performance data demonstrated how technology can simplify the management and interpretation of assessment information, earning the platform a place in Kenya's growing education technology ecosystem. However, the increasing use of digital assessment and reporting systems in schools calls for greater engagement between technology providers, the Ministry of Education, KNEC and other relevant curriculum and assessment agencies.

Assessment is not merely the final activity after teaching and learning. It is one of the most critical components of CBC because it provides evidence of what learners know, can do and are able to apply in different situations. The question is not whether schools should embrace digital assessment systems, since they should, but whether these systems are sufficiently aligned to the principles, requirements and philosophy of CBC and Competency-Based Assessment (CBA). A reporting system designed primarily around marks, averages, grades and ranking may not adequately communicate the broader competencies, values, skills and learning progress that CBC seeks to capture. Parents and learners deserve reports that tell a meaningful story about learning, not merely a collection of scores.

This also raises a broader policy question: why should individual schools be left to independently procure and maintain assessment and reporting systems without a clearly communicated national framework defining the minimum requirements for CBC-compliant digital assessment and reporting? Schools already operate under considerable financial pressure, and the cost of acquiring, renewing and maintaining digital systems can become significant, particularly for institutions with limited resources. There is therefore a need for the Ministry of Education and KNEC, in collaboration with the relevant curriculum and quality assurance agencies, to provide clear guidance on what constitutes a CBC/CBA-compliant digital assessment and reporting system. Such guidance would not necessarily mean banning private technology providers; rather, it would create a level playing field where innovators can compete while meeting nationally established professional and technical standards.

Zeraki should not be viewed as the problem. The company represents the growing role of technology in Kenya's education sector and has demonstrated that there is demand for efficient digital solutions. Rather than questioning the existence of such platforms, the education sector should challenge technology providers to continuously improve their products. Zeraki, for instance, could work more closely with KNEC and the relevant Ministry of Education departments to strengthen its CBC assessment and reporting components, ensuring the system reflects competency-based assessment principles, reporting requirements and other emerging needs of the Kenyan education system. This would ultimately benefit schools, teachers, learners, parents and the technology providers themselves.

KNEC, as the country's national assessment body, has an important role to play in this conversation. The Council could develop or publish minimum standards for digital assessment and learner reporting systems, covering areas such as competency tracking, formative and summative assessment, learner progress, feedback, grading, reporting formats, data integrity and alignment with approved curriculum and assessment frameworks. The Ministry could then provide the necessary policy direction and oversight, while technology companies develop innovative solutions within the established standards, a much healthier approach than leaving schools to navigate the rapidly expanding education technology market on their own.

The success of CBC will ultimately depend not only on how well Kenya teaches, but also on how accurately and meaningfully it assesses and reports learning. Assessment is arguably the final and most vital stage of CBC implementation, because it provides evidence of whether the desired learning outcomes and competencies are actually being achieved. This points to the need for a national conversation involving KNEC, KICD, the Ministry of Education, Quality Assurance and Standards directorates, teachers, school leaders, parents, learners and education technology providers. The objective should not be to undermine businesses investing in education technology, but to ensure that innovation serves education rather than the other way round.

Zeraki and other education technology providers have an opportunity to become important partners in the CBC journey by working with education and assessment authorities, listening to teachers and schools, strengthening the CBC component of their platforms, and helping Kenya build a reliable, affordable and genuinely competency-based digital assessment and reporting ecosystem. The bigger question for the sector is whether Kenya is building digital systems that merely calculate learners' scores, or systems that genuinely help understand, support and improve learning, a conversation the education sector can no longer afford to postpone.