By KPC Reporter
Government officers who involve themselves in national examination malpractices will be blacklisted.
Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba said cheating in exams was a grave offense that should be met with stiffer penalties.
Also Read
“We have requested the judiciary to fast-track cases of exam malpractices and ensure they are concluded within three months,” the CS said when he toured schools in Nyamira and Kisii Counties over the weekend.
The CS was assessing the region’s preparedness for the national examinations.
“Multi-agency teams have been put in place to ensure that the examinations go on smoothly,” the CS said.
He warned that anyone caught abetting cheating will be blacklisted from being employed anywhere in the republic as it happens elsewhere in the world.
“Their names will be entered in a register and they will be prohibited from reentering employment,” he said.
Ogamba said those who think that criminal cases instituted against them for aiding cheating in the national exams cannot injure their careers were in for a rude shock.
“Let the learners do the exams freely since each one of them can fit somewhere depending on their clean grades,” he said.
The CS emphasized that the Competence Based Curriculum would benefit more Kenyans as it emphasizes on talent and skills as opposed to securing high grades in examinations.
He said the high, average and low achievers were all likely to succeed in life without taking shortcuts.
“Going forward, the promotion of teachers will not be based on the number of students who score As but how well they manage schools and the kind of learners they produce,” Ogamba said.
He said teachers should aspire to raise all-round citizens and asked stakeholders in the sector to support government initiatives in the interest of the Kenyan public.
“I can tell you for free that if you mess a country’s education, everything else will collapse,” he said, adding that the government was doing everything possible to ensure that CBC succeeds.
Already, 3,500 classrooms have been completed and another 7,500 are ongoing to absorb Grade 9 learners in Comprehensive Schools next year.
Another 5,000 classrooms will also be done through the National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
He disclosed that the government had decentralized the construction of the classrooms, so that they are of the same standards and cost.
“Heads of institutions should ensure prudent utilization of resources sent to schools so that learners can have a conducive environment to study,” he said.
To bridge the gaps, the ministry will continue to availing relevant facilities at primary schools as the CBC train continues to move.
“To bridge staffing shortages, we will deploy virtual learning,” he added.
He said the government cannot move JSS learners to existing secondary schools since this would go against the public that said that they be domiciled in primary schools.
“The presidential working party on education conducted public participation where 93% of Kenyans said that JSS should be domiciled in primary schools,” he said.
The CS said the government had also dispatched textbooks for Grade 9 learners to be delivered to schools before reopening next year and head teachers should be ready to receive the books and submit returns to the ministry.
“I ask head teachers to work harmoniously with members of Boards of Management (BoM),” he said.
………….
