Reinstate KNEC's exam budget to tame cheating - stakeholders

Education stakeholders have piled pressure on the government to reinstate invigilation fees slashed in new budget cuts.

They say that failure to return the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) money will compromise the administration of the tests.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu threatened to ensure teachers boycott exam administration and marking if funding issues are not addressed.

"We want the government to live up to its promise of funding education in the country. They have to provide free education and increase the transition rate from both primary to secondary and secondary to higher learning by ensuring that those registered students are examined,” Oyuu said.

Oyuu accused the government of consistently delaying teachers' payments despite promises that funds were factored into the budget.

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"We have given an ultimatum to KNEC that they should not engage us if the payment is not forthcoming,” he asserted.

His statement came a day after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) expressed serious concerns about the significant budget cuts to KNEC.

Acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima warned that these cuts would severely hinder the council's ability to deliver credible examinations scheduled for three months from now.

"The union is deeply concerned by the massive reduction of the budget for the Kenya National Examination Council. The Council’s budget has been cut to zero," Nthurima stated.

This announcement followed outgoing Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u's listing of KNEC as one of the casualties in the 24 areas affected by budget cuts due to the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.

"This created a financing gap of a similar amount and implies that funding of expenditures to the tune of Sh344.3 billion is not tenable. In line with Article 223 of the Constitution and Section 44 of the PFMA, Cap 412A, the financing gap will necessitate revision of the budget estimates for the FY 2024/25. The changes will be regularized in the context of the FY 2024/25 Supplementary Estimates No. 1,” the statement read.

Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, urged the government to revert to the previous funding model for the examination body.

"The government should let the Council collect examination fees as previously done from parents in order to foot the budget on the administration of exams,” Manyasa stated.

He noted that the current disparities in budget allocation on the examination body could significantly impact the credibility of exam results.

"With poor funding of the KNEC, the government is opening floodgates for invigilators to be compromised by heads of institutions in order to get good results. Our country was running away from such things from the previous austerity measures we had put in place," he added.

The Usawa Agenda boss said since 2016, the government has covered examination fees for all candidates in public and private schools to ensure no learner is excluded from taking national exams.

"The gains we have made in the last seven years will now go to the dogs if the government does not tread carefully on this matter,” Manyasa warned.

Manyasa also highlighted that while other sectors receive adequate funding, the education sector's imbalance points to a generational risk.

“The percentage of student dropouts will be huge, warranting alarm now. No teacher will be willing to work under deplorable conditions and expect to deliver credible outcomes,” he noted.

Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association chairman Johnson Nzioka also urged the government to return the invigilation fees.

“We are asking the Ministry of Education and the government to reinstate the budget because teachers are not ready to offer services for free and we have been offering services for free,” said Nzioka.

“As managers of education in primary and Junior secondary, we are appealing to the government to reconsider funding of the Council,” Nzioka said.

Nzioka expressed concern that the lack of funding for national examinations might compromise the integrity of the examination results.

“We feel aggrieved when we hear there will be no funds allocated to KNEC which accesses what we have done in terms of curriculum delivery,” said Nzioka.

“If our children will not get a fair assessment, then our efforts will not seem to be fruitful.”

KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba echoed these concerns, warning that the budget cuts could lead to a crisis and increase anxiety nationwide.

"With austerity measures spoken about, and having realized there is no budget for KNEC, it means the council is either forced not to administer exams for lack of a budget or to surcharge the parents like they used to do before," he said.

It was in 2022 when examiners at various marking centres downed tools due to poor working conditions and pay. Teachers at St Joseph Mang’u Girls and Starehe Boys Centre went on a go-slow strike to demand better pay.

Nthurima emphasized the critical role of examinations in the education system and called on the Ministry of Education and the government to reinstate the budget to ensure teachers do not have to work without compensation.