Parliament Buildings in Nairobi County on August 8, 2024.
Members of Parliament are demanding answers from the Ministry of Education over the fate of 9,000 pupils who missed the final Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam administered in 2023 under the now-defunct 8-4-4 education system.
The National Assembly has expressed concern that these pupils risk being locked out of secondary education as the government transitions to the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) system.
In a request for a statement, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi urged Parliament to intervene and ensure that the affected learners are granted an opportunity to sit the KCPE despite the rollout of the new system.
Ms Elachi argued that many of the 9,000 learners were unable to sit the exam due to circumstances beyond their control and should not be denied the chance to continue their education solely because of the systemic transition.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) administered the final KCPE exams in 2023 under the 8-4-4 system.
“It is estimated that over 9,000 pupils did not sit for the final KCPE examination in 2023 and other preceding years due to various reasons, the majority being girls affected by early pregnancies, illness, and other unforeseen circumstances,” said Ms Elachi.
“These learners now face the risk of never progressing to secondary school simply because they did not sit for KCPE, which is no longer being offered,” she added.
KNEC data indicates that 9,354 candidates failed to sit for the 2023 KCPE exams. A total of 1,406,557 candidates were registered that year, comprising 721,544 (51.30 percent) boys and 685,017 (48.70 percent) girls.
Ms Elachi noted that many of the affected learners remain interested in completing their education and sitting for the KCPE to improve their academic standing before the exam is fully phased out.
In addition to concerns over the missed KCPE exams, the MP also raised alarms over thousands of students who may be locked out of sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which will be administered for the last time in 2027.
The final cohort under the 8-4-4 system will sit the KCSE in 2027, officially marking the end of the curriculum and ushering in full implementation of the CBC system.
The National Assembly now wants the Ministry of Education and KNEC to brief it on measures being taken to accommodate learners who missed their KCPE exams under the 8-4-4 system.
Parliament is also seeking clarification on the criteria for converting KCPE qualifications to CBC assessments to facilitate a smooth transition to senior secondary school, the equivalent of secondary education under the 8-4-4 system.
Additionally, the House is demanding to know whether special arrangements, provisions, or remedial opportunities are being made for learners who missed the final KCPE and those who may miss the final KCSE in 2027.
Furthermore, the House wants to know the ministry’s strategy for allowing students to retake KCPE or KCSE until 2027, and what steps are being taken to ensure those who miss the final KCSE exams are not disadvantaged in transitioning to college or university.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed the Committee on Education, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, to provide answers when Parliament resumes its sittings next Tuesday after a short recess
