Teachers, education stakeholders want audit of Knec systems over KCPE results errors

Pressure is mounting from teachers' unions and education stakeholders for an independent audit of the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) systems to restore its integrity following the confusion over the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) grades.

Glaring errors in the award of marks in the 2023 KCPE results, the last under the 8-4-4 education system, have put Knec on the spot.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) national treasurer Mwethi Njenga and his deputy Ronald Tonui led union officials in demanding an audit of the systems.

The unionists said the examination body was riddled with administrative challenges that needed to be addressed as teachers, parents and other stakeholders were concerned about the trend in examination results.

"Questions have been raised as to why the commission was in a hurry to release the results without looking into the existing discrepancies that have raised questions about the integrity of the whole system," Mr Tonui said.

"From the alleged leakage of exams, failure to award marks or awarding marks for a paper one has never sat and the perennial delay in payment of allowances to examiners, invigilators, supervisors and security officers among others who have been involved in the conduct of KCPE and KCSE is a clear indication that there is need to look into the systems of the commission," he added.

They were speaking at the weekend during the Kuppet Kericho branch annual general meeting (AGM) which was also attended by branch secretaries Mary Rotich (Kericho), Paul Kimetto (Bomet), Charles Ngeno (Narok) among others.

Collins Oyuu, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary general, separately said at the weekend that errors were normal and that Knec should be given the opportunity to correct the anomalies.

"We should not condemn the commission for the lapses but give them time to correct them now that they have been raised," Mr Oyuu said.

Kericho Governor Erick Mutai, who chairs the Education Committee in the Council of Governors, said Knec should move fast and restore stakeholders' confidence in the country's examination system.

Dr Mutai, who was speaking during the Kuppet AGM which was also attended by former Cabinet Minister for Roads Franklin Bett, questioned the haste with which the council released the KCPE results without due diligence.

"It is a matter of great concern that the commission presided over a system where candidates were awarded marks for subjects they did not sit, others were not awarded marks for what they did, while questions have been raised about the marks awarded in some schools," Dr Mutai said.

"There is need for the commission to review the systems and seek to restore integrity at a time when the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams are being conducted in schools and the marking is expected to take place in a few days," he added.

The Kericho governor said stakeholders in the education system were closely following the development and the solutions the commission will offer to affected candidates.

Dr David Njengere, the Knec chief executive officer, admitted that there were errors in the examination results affecting some of the 1,406,577 candidates, but that these had since been addressed by the commission.

"Knec has reviewed all the appeals received and found that 133 candidates were affected. These cases have all been addressed and their results have been updated accordingly," said Dr Njengere.

A total of 8,523 candidates scored 400 marks and above in the KCPE results, which were the last to be conducted under the 8-4-4 education system being phased out by the government.

According to Knec, 352,782 candidates scored between 300 and 399 marks and another 658,278 scored between 200 and 299 marks in the exams.

There was a delay in the release of results through the commission's SMS code 40054, with some candidates having to wait more than two days for feedback from the system, causing anxiety among those affected.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has announced that the Form One placement will take two weeks and that candidates will receive the results of the secondary schools they will be attending before Christmas.

The move would allow parents to prepare for Form One admissions early next year, unlike in the past when they were given a very short time to pay school fees and purchase items such as textbooks and uniforms.