Third term is a national exam period in Kenya, class 8 students will be sitting for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam next week. Based on the a survey we did with Chandaria pupils which we will be releasing soon, we found out that all the students expect to join secondary School next year.
As KCPE approaches, the one thing in my mind is exam cheating. For the past few years we have witnessed cases of exam irregularities in our Schools. The importance of national exam cannot be underestimated. it usually makes not only students but also teachers use all the way to pass this exam including using the wrong ways. The headmaster and teachers from one school would do anything so their student can pass the exam, like try to get the national exam question before the true national exam and then give the answer to their students.
In some cases parents have been known to pressurize their children to perform well. Some students interviewed by K24 in the beginning of the year accused the parents and the society for putting too much pressure on them hence leading to exam cheating.
The Ministry of education and the exam council has put in place tough measures to curb this vice in schools. President Kibaki recently signed the new Kenya National Examination Council Act, which criminalizes possession of copies of exam papers by unauthorized persons before or during exams. In October, KNEC, imposed a law stating that exam cheats will face a ten term in prison or a fine of 2 Million Shillings.
In the ongoing Kenya Secondary education, those who were found committing this crime have already been arrested and taken to court. A student in Homabay is already facing 2 years behind bars for exam malpractices.
I hope with all these measures, exam cheating will come to an end. Let us all unite as a society and support KNEC so that we have a fair playing ground for all students in the National exam. The parents and teachers should be realistic and not put too much pressure on the students.
Wishing all KCPE candidates success in their exams.