Top private schools across Kenya now face closure over exams scandal

Education CS Fred Matiang'i. At least 20 top private schools risk deregistration for running multiple examination centres to boost results in a bid to attract students. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

At least 20 top private schools risk deregistration for running multiple examination centres to boost results in a bid to attract students.

The schools produce best students in national examinations every year.

But behind the facade of success lurks a dirty trick –the institutions admit many students but register candidates in separate examination centres based on their performance.

Among the schools fingered for engaging in this act are Makini Schools in Nairobi and Kisumu, Gilgil Hill Academy, Mt Kenya Academy, St Kevin Academy in Mombasa, Lizar Junior Academy in Naivasha and New Light in Komarock, Nairobi. Others are from Nyeri, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Meru and Machakos. Nairobi and Nakuru top the list.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i warned on Thursday that the schools will be deregistered.

Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) chairperson George Magoha termed the practice ‘criminal fraud.’ 

Prof Magoha noted that in some schools, candidates sit in one examination room but have different index numbers and centre codes.

“The ministry is aware that some private schools operate multiple examination centres with an aim of engaging in unethical practices meant to enable them record favourable rankings in national examinations,” Dr Matiang’i said while releasing this year’s Kenya Certificate Primary Education (KCPE) results on Thursday.

“The practice must end now. I have instructed Knec to ensure no school registers more than one centre in national examinations,” he said, and termed the practice ‘ridiculous’ saying the schools use innocent pupils in an unscrupulous marketing of their businesses.

Education stakeholders yesterday asked the CS to take stern action against the schools.

Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndoro said the association has for the last four years pleaded with the ministry to crack the whip on such schools.

“Whether big or small, we want these schools deregistered and closed down because they are not many. We want Matiang’i to crack the whip and restore sanity because they are spoilers,” Mr Ndoro said.

He said there are about 7,000 registered private schools, out of which 6,800 are registered examination centres.

“Those with bad habits are actually about 20 and we will support Matiang’i in ensuring they are identified, shamed and closed,” Ndoro said. Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Wilson Sossion said, “private schools have never been regulated. They cannibalise poor children and even clandestinely poach and register children from public schools to up grades.”

He added that the schools registered bright children in one examination centre and ‘trash’ the rest in bigger classes to shore up results.

Ndoro observed that some schools take bright pupils from public schools and register them in their centres to get good scores.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Secretary General Akelo Misori said the satellite centres must be closed.

“Some of these schools are doing funny things that are destroying the education sector,” Mr Misori said yesterday. Elimu Yetu Coalition, an education civil society organisation, also weighed in on the matter and asked Matiang’i to move fast.

Bold step

“These schools are known. Some have big names and dominate the list of top performing schools nationally. They can not do business with our children,” said Janet Muthoni, the EYC National Coordinator.

“The bold step adopted in managing examinations must be employed in cracking the whip because Kenyans want quality education and not just grades,” Ms Muthoni said.

On Thursday, the CS said a decision had been reached to deregister the schools and noted that there will be no negotiation.

“I have already met the private schools association officials and we agreed that this must be done. They must put their house in order,” Matiang’i said, and added that in order to curb fraud in the education sector, all private candidates will from next year sit examinations in government institutions. “We will no longer allow private centres because half of them are conduits for examination leakage through impersonation,” Matiang’i said. Enos Oyaya, the then quality assurance boss at the ministry,  unearthed the practice of schools setting up satellite centres.

An 2005 audit revealed that some schools registered weak candidates in satellite centres, with the numbers, Oyaya found, often kept as low as 20 to ensure higher mean score.

The findings also indicated that some institutions evaded taxation by using registration certificates of the parent school and it emerged that some private schools only registered one schoolyet they had more.

Matiang’i said investigations by the ministry revealed that majority of these schools have a small candidature of between 20 and 30 of their best candidates.

“These abnormal centres are the ones that top charts whenever ranking for schools is done,” he said, and added that these schools will no longer operate business centres.

“We want these activities stopped because private schools do not thrive in theft and fraud,” KPSA’s Ndoro said. What are they doing to the psychology of the pupils? From next year we have agreed that we shall adopt a one centre approach for examination registration.”

“These schools now have nowhere to hide. We will name and shame them. I wish to announce that the Ministry has resolved to stamp out this unethical practice once and for all. For a start, Knec will not register these schools as centres for national examinations starting 2017,” Matiang’i said.