Six practices Kenya must avoid to curb examination malpractice ahead of KPSEA, KJSEA and KCSE

Examination integrity is not achieved merely by locking examination papers in containers, deploying security personnel or arresting those caught cheating. It requires a culture of honesty, accountability and responsibility among learners, parents, teachers, school administrators and all other stakeholders.

Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework, we emphasise the application of values in everyday life. Integrity, responsibility, respect and citizenship should be demonstrated in practice, not merely listed as values in curriculum documents. If we are implementing CBE effectively, we should be nurturing learners who understand why cheating is wrong, even when they have an opportunity to do so.

Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that the assessment environment itself can either promote integrity or create incentives for dishonesty. There are several issues that deserve attention.

One practice that deserves scrutiny is the promise of rewards to school principals whose institutions achieve impressive examination results. For example, a politician may promise to take principals on foreign trips if their schools attain high mean scores.

Although such promises may be intended to motivate school leaders, they can create unintended pressure to produce impressive results at all costs. Where personal rewards are tied directly to examination performance, some administrators may be tempted to compromise assessment integrity, potentially through collusion with teachers, supervisors or invigilators.

The problem becomes even more concerning when schools serving learners with different entry abilities are subjected to the same performance expectations.

Imagine a C4 school that admits learners with relatively low entry scores. If its principal is promised a reward for taking a specified number of learners to university, the incentive may encourage unrealistic expectations and potentially unethical practices.

Should we reward principals simply because their schools produce high grades, or should we recognise the genuine progress learners make from their starting points?

The Ministry of Education should encourage politicians and other leaders to avoid promises that place undue pressure on school administrators. Recognition should consider improvements in learning, learner progression, inclusion, professional integrity and the quality of teaching, rather than examination grades alone.

Most importantly, if rewards are offered, learners should not be forgotten. They are the ones sitting the examinations and demonstrating what they have learned. However, rewards to learners must also be designed carefully so that they do not create another incentive to cheat.

Every parent wants their child to succeed. However, the desire for good grades can sometimes cloud judgement.

Some parents may be tempted to purchase examination papers advertised on social media or other online platforms under the claim that they are genuine or leaked KNEC papers. Such transactions may expose families to fraud, encourage examination malpractice and undermine the credibility of national assessments.

Parents must understand that no unauthorised individual can legitimately guarantee access to confidential examination papers. Materials advertised as leaked examinations should be treated with suspicion and reported through appropriate official channels.

KNEC and other relevant authorities have introduced examination-security measures, including secure storage and controlled access to examination materials. These measures are important, but physical security alone cannot eliminate malpractice if individuals deliberately exploit weaknesses in the administration process.

Parents should therefore be encouraged to support their children through revision, adequate rest, access to legitimate learning resources and emotional encouragement. They should not seek shortcuts that could jeopardise their children's futures.

Another critical concern is the management of people who are authorised to be present in schools during national examinations.

School administrators, authorised deputies, cooks, security officers and other permitted personnel may have legitimate responsibilities during the examination period. However, the process of identifying and verifying these individuals must be sufficiently robust.

For instance, how can examination officials be certain that a person identified as a cook is genuinely performing that role? Could a school assign a teacher to perform kitchen duties temporarily to keep the teacher within the school compound during an examination?

Such possibilities should not be treated as evidence that every school is involved in malpractice. Rather, they demonstrate why clear procedures and independent verification are necessary.

KNEC should work with the Ministry of Education to ensure that authorised personnel are properly identified, their duties are documented, and access to examination rooms and restricted areas is controlled.

Where possible, staff rosters should be verified in advance, identification checked, and unexpected changes in personnel reported to the responsible examination officials. No individual should be permitted to enter a restricted examination area simply because they are known to the school administration.

The presence of a principal or deputy principal should not automatically be regarded as proof of integrity. Equally, legitimate school staff should not be treated as suspects without evidence. The objective is to establish a transparent system that protects everyone and safeguards the examination process.

Examination supervisors and invigilators play a critical role in protecting the integrity of national examinations. They must remain alert, impartial and committed to the rules governing examination administration.

There is a need to guard against situations in which unauthorised access might occur while examination officials are distracted by hospitality, refreshments or other activities. For example, if an examination official is occupied in a staffroom while unauthorised individuals gain access to examination materials or candidates, a serious security weakness may arise.

This does not mean that offering tea or refreshments is inherently wrong. The concern is whether hospitality interferes with official duties or creates opportunities for collusion.

KNEC should reinforce clear expectations on the conduct of supervisors and invigilators, including continuous vigilance, adherence to examination protocols, accurate reporting of irregularities and prompt escalation of suspected malpractice.

No teacher, school administrator or other person should be allowed to influence an invigilator to compromise the rules. Examination officials must be adequately supported so that they can discharge their responsibilities without intimidation, inducement or undue pressure.

Beyond the examination room, Kenya must confront the belief that a school is successful only when it produces high mean scores.

When school leaders are judged exclusively by grades, teachers may feel compelled to do whatever is necessary to protect the institution's reputation. Learners, in turn, may come to believe that the result matters more than the effort, honesty and knowledge behind it.

This contradicts the spirit of CBE, which seeks to nurture every learner's potential and develop engaged, empowered and ethical citizens.

A learner who earns a modest grade honestly has demonstrated an important value. A learner who obtains an impressive grade through cheating has not demonstrated the competence or integrity that education should promote.

Schools should therefore prepare learners thoroughly, provide timely feedback, identify learning gaps and offer appropriate support. Teachers should be given adequate resources and professional development to implement assessment requirements effectively.

At the same time, accountability systems should distinguish between poor performance resulting from genuine learning challenges and deliberate manipulation of results.

Even the best examination-security arrangements can be undermined when people are afraid to report wrongdoing or believe that offenders will face no consequences.

KNEC and the Ministry of Education should ensure that examination officials, teachers, parents and members of the public can report suspected malpractice through clear, confidential and accessible channels.

Reports should be investigated fairly, evidence handled professionally, and appropriate disciplinary or legal action taken where wrongdoing is established. At the same time, safeguards should protect individuals from malicious or unsubstantiated allegations.