The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has admitted there were errors in some of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results received through the Short Message Service.
This is after hundreds of parents complained over confusion in the KCPE grading system and inclusion of Kenyan Sign Language marks for those who did not sit for the paper.
At least 1.4 million candidates sat for the last KCPE in the 8-4-4 system, ushering in the Competency-Based Curriculum. However, some parents, teachers and candidates are in anguish over the wrong KCPE grades released on Thursday.
In a statement, Knec Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr David Njengere, said they got information that some candidates had a misalignment of marks with some receiving grades for Kenya Sign Language instead of Kiswahili.
“There were also cases where the grades in Science and Social Studies and Religious Education were truncated incorrectly and were missing the plus (+) and minus (-) signs as expected. The errors affected only the SMS results due to configuration issues,” said Dr Njengere.
However, the CEO assured the parents, teachers and candidates that the results are accurate in the Knec portal
“The council Rules of 2015 Legal Notice 131 on the marking of examinations, release of results and certification, Rule 27, provides for candidates or schools to lodge appeals for review of the examination results,” Dr Njengere instructed schools, adding that the council received appeals from some affected schools which are dissatisfied with the results as received by candidates or institutions through the SMS code 40054.
The Knec boss said the council also received queries from candidates with low marks in some of the subjects, mainly English and Kiswahili.
“Knec reviewed all the appeals and found that there were 133 candidates affected. These cases have all been addressed and their results updated appropriately,” added the Knec boss.
Meanwhile, he said the council has reviewed the KCPE examination results for a private school that was widely circulated on social media indicating that all the candidates had attained an identical mark of 75 in Science.
“Knec has not found any indication that the school was involved in examination malpractices,” said Dr Njengere.
He defended the school saying Science is a multiple-choice question paper, making it possible for the candidates to get identical marks.
“Though this may be assumed to be an examination irregularity, it is not adequate evidence for Knec to sanction the results for the candidates without a supporting report that cheating happened during the administration of the examination,” added Dr Njengere.
Candidates have 30 days for the review of their results. The council directed those affected to visit their schools, collect the official provisional results slips and raise any query for review of their results within the stipulated period.
This comes as a parent from Reading Land Academy, yesterday told Sunday Nation that her daughter was on hunger strike after she was awarded marks for Kenyan Sign language instead of the Kiswahili subject she sat for.
“She is so demoralised. I have tried counselling her, we are taking her to a professional to help her. I have called the school to go and lodge a complaint after Knec admitted their mistakes because the school is not for the disabled. Our children are vulnerable, Knec should be held accountable for the errors,” said the parent, whom we cannot name to protect the minor.
She wondered why Knec was in a hurry to release the results without analysing and putting things right.
Parents Association chairperson Silas Obuhatsa and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Collins Oyuu urged Knec to rectify the errors.
“It was an error and errors happen. We don’t have to blame Knec, but they must assure parents of affected candidates how exactly the mess will be rectified and correct grades given,” said Mr Obuhatsa. “ We always insist that marked answer sheets and scripts be returned to parents so that in case of such errors, it’s easy to correct.”
Mr Oyuu said: “I am in Kisumu and some parents saw me and started addressed me on the same. Parents are out complaining bitterly. Knec should give proper clarification. Once you’ve accepted the error, come out with a remedy for the error quickly.”
