The move by Education Secretary to ban all social activities during third term, as part of the ministry’s new measures to curb cheating, leaves many disturbed. This is because there are concerns on whether they are putting in place proper interventions to bar further cases of exam cheating or not.
The events, as per the directive by Dr Matiang’i, include price-giving ceremonies, sports, visiting days, half-term breaks and annual general meetings.
Despite the support coming from certain quarters, the move has also drawn considerable condemnation from various education stakeholders. Clearly, for the opponents, they are non-issues that the CS must avoid.
All events have been an integral part of the third term calendar, as far as Kenyan primary and secondary education is concerned. Do they contribute to exam cheating? If so, does it mean that cheating has existed as long as these events have taken place in schools? Finding the answer to these questions requires the CS to ask another question; how do parents, or students for that matter, end up having the exams before the exam date and time?
In resolving the problem, the CS has to understand that exam leakage is squarely a matter of laxity on the part of those charged with the duty of securing it. In that regard, parents and students feature nowhere. If Knec can perform its role effectively and efficiently, it will not matter how often parents visit their children, or how often schools will have sporting activities during third term.
For a significant proportion of Kenyans, the move is a clear indication that the ministry is not keen on addressing the issue of exam cheating from the root cause. To sum it up, Dr Matiangi’s directive is an implicit admission that KCPE and KCSE examinations will still leak, at least into the public realm.
Kenyans are concerned about the increasing levels of exam cheating. They need an urgent solution to the problem. Knec shall have failed in their work if parents, students, or the public are to have access to the examination papers, as it happened in 2015.
The problem is Knec, and a worthy solution must focus on the body. This demands that the CS provides a more cogent approach for correcting how KNEC operates. This will help in restoring public confidence in the ability of the examination’s body to uphold due diligence in preventing any form of leak.
It is only prudent that Dr Matiang'i relooks the position taken in relation to the third-term calendar. For instance, it is more appropriate to pray for KCPE and KCSE candidates when they are nearing their exams, and not during second term, as suggested.
The secretary should provide a more reasonable intervention. Otherwise, if visits by parents, annual general meetings, or going for mid-term breaks will lead to exam cheating, then he must tell Kenyans how they will deal with day-school students. Will they be quarantined under a temporary boarding arrangement for the entire third term?
