Knec: 17,000 teachers have signed to mark exams

Knec Chief Executive Officer Paul Wasanga.

By Augustine Oduor

Kenya: Over 17, 000 teachers have confirmed participation in the marking of this year’s national examinations, putting to rest claims that candidates may wait longer to get their results.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Wednesday said the number was higher than the confirmation figures received last year about the same time.

Council Chief Executive Officer Paul Wasanga said as of Wednesday, some 11, 000 teachers had confirmed they would mark scripts of the over 437, 782 candidates who sat this year’s KCSE examinations and the over 800, 000 who wrote this year’s KCPE.

He said at same time last year, only 10,000 had confirmed.

“This is means that 1,000 more teachers have confirmed to mark KCSE examinations as compared to last year,” he said.

He said the pool to mark KCSE was 14,000 teachers and noted that by next week, the required number will have confirmed participation.

On KCPE, Wasanga said some 6,000 teachers had by yesterday confirmed to participate in the exercise. He said this is some 500 additional teachers compared to confirmations same time last year.

“By this time last year, only 5,500 teachers had confirmed. For this examination we have a marking pool of 8,000 teachers. But we are not worried because by next week once we have analysed all the entries, we shall have the required numbers,” said Wasanga.

This means that calls by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) on their members to boycott the exercise may have minimal impact in marking and release of examination results.

Kuppet claims majority of teachers they represent are in secondary schools.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) whose main representation is drawn from primary schools have opposed calls by the rival union to boycott marking.

Regional meetings

Kuppet National Secretary Henry Obwocha said regional meetings are under way to rally its members to boycott the exercise.

Issues raised by Kuppet include raising the marking fee for the teachers, taxation of teachers’ pay and accommodation for the markers.

However, contract documents signed by the teachers and seen by The Standard indicate that the they have consented to the terms and conditions of the contract.

“I have read and understood all the conditions given under instructions and contractual obligations between examiners and Knec and I accept the conditions set out in the contract. I will take part in the year 2013 marking exercise,” reads the contract form dubbed Marking Acceptance for 2013 Knec Examiners.

The form spells out personal information, accommodation details and a declaration to having read and accepted terms and conditions of the contract.

It also binds teachers or markers to adhere to secrecy oath that they will not divulge any information gained during the exercise by virtue of being a Knec examiner.

The document indicates that all interested teachers were to submit their dully completed forms by July 30 for August marking or by November 15 for November and December marking.