Thousands of Grade Four and Standard Eight learners missed the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) assessment that began on Wednesday, as head teachers blamed the government of failing to fund the buying of materials.
Heads contacted by the Nation complained of the high cost of downloading and printing the voluminous materials, especially for Standard Eight pupils who are to be tested in all subjects.
Schools are expected to come up with their timetables for the tests, which end on Friday.
The assessments will be marked internally, after which the schools will upload the scores on the Knec portal.
Some learners are feared to have dropped out of school during the seven-month Covid-19 closure mostly due to pregnancies, marriages and child labour.
In some schools, learners were asked to pay for the cost of printing and photocopying the test materials.
“The government only released 20 instead of 30 per cent of the funds. It’s not enough. Some teachers have been using their money to meet the school needs since March,” a head teacher told the Nation .
Knec says the assessment is meant to check the learners’ preparedness in classwork. It aims at identifying learning gaps and inform appropriate interventions.
At Moi Avenue Primary School in Nairobi, Standard Eight pupils were assessed but Grade Four learners will begin their tests today.
Ms Ruth Chepkorir, the head teacher, said her staff are making efforts to trace children who have not reported to school.
In Kisumu, some 20 learners at Pandi Pieri Primary School were not assessed as they are said to have transferred to other institutions.
“We registered 190 pupils in Grade Four. A hundred and seventy have reported to school,” head teacher Veronica Anyango said.
The tests in several Vihiga schools delayed, with heads travelling to Kakamega early in the morning to get the materials from a printing firm.
Mululu Primary was among the first schools to start the assessment, with the deputy head teacher doing the supervision.
“We made arrangements for the materials to be printed and delivered to the school. The assessment is progressing smoothly. Only two pupils did not make it to school as their parents travelled with them to Nairobi and Machakos,” head teacher Dickson Wanyanga said.
Most schools in Suba, Homa Bay county, had not began the assessments by 10am.
Ligongo Primary School pupils had to wait until 11am for the head teacher, Henry Otawa, who walked for more than 10 kilometres from a cyber cafe where the materials were being printed.
“The situation has been made difficult by failure to give schools money. I had to dig into my pocket to download and photocopy the papers,” Mr Otawa said.
At the High Peak Junior Academy, only 10 learners were allowed in the assessment room.
“The school adhered to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health,” said the institution’s director David Mwangi.
Nyandarua Primary School teachers ensured social distancing was observed during the Grade Four assessment.
Reported by Reginah Kinogu, Waikwa Maina, Geoffrey Ondieki, Macharia Mwangi and Faith Nyamai
