By Brian Kaleti
The Parliamentary Committee on Education chaired by Julius Melly has said that the need by teachers to succeed and get promotions are to be blamed for exam cheating that has recently been widely witnessed.
Speaking at Kenya School of Government (KSG) in Embu when the committee met education stakeholders to carry out a probe into the allegations of cheating and malpractices in 2022 K.C.S.E, Melly said that the pressure mounted on school principals by parents and students on the need for their schools to succeed is to be blamed for in the exam’s malpractices and cheating.
The chair, who is also the MP for Tinderet Constituency in Nandi County, also added that the need by teachers and school principals for promotion has fueled exams cheating in schools.
“Cheating is motivated by the need to succeed and for teachers to be promoted. Principals are under pressure by parents, students and stakeholders that they need to be assisted to cheat or they be send away,” said the Parliamentary chair on Education Committee.
Melly confirmed that the body he is leading had already established that there has been cheating in national exams in Kenya.
“Yes, there has been cheating in exams and it was noted that some individuals in some school sneak exam papers or marking schemes to students few weeks or few days before the examination day,” he said.
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He said that the whole issue of exams cheating in schools is a web that the committee seeks to unravel.
Meli added that the main mode that is mostly used to sneak exams in schools is through Instagram, Signal and Telegram.
He also noted that through the consultation forum held, it was established that teachers and examiners aide in exams cheating by guiding the students during the exams so that that they can succeed.
The MP added that the issue of ranking has been observed to fuel exams cheating, saying that the media has been on the frontline of ranking the best performing schools and students despite the Government having banned ranking.
The Member of Parliament also said that his committee will be releasing a detailed recommendation report that will restore and secure the integrity of Kenyan exams and the integrity of certificates.
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