Curb fake exam papers’ racket agony for parents

Crooks are ripping off desperate parents worried about the fate of their children by selling them fake examination papers. This is a racket that was prevalent in the old days when ranking in national examinations was key. The introduction of the competency-based education system was meant to curb this menace, but it is apparently continuing.

A booming national exam papers syndicate is threatening to undermine the education system. Parents are digging deeper into their pockets to supposedly give their children an edge in the national tests. It is a further burden on families struggling to make ends meet.

One online platform advertises revision services at Sh290 for 24 hours, Sh590 for a month and Sh940 for six months, targeting the same parents who will have paid fees and other charges in schools. One provider charges Sh1,200 to provide access to revision materials for a year. The platforms list past papers, mock tests, notes, and marking schemes.

However, it is not easy to establish the authenticity of the papers or their source. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is mandated to evaluate and approve learning materials used throughout the country. It has not approved these “revision packages”.

The fake papers are still being sold to anxious parents despite the introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE), which was designed to eliminate the pressure of national exam ranking that fuelled cheating. The persistence of the scams indicates that anxiety over academic performance remains a powerful tool for fraudsters. The solution is valuing a child’s overall progress, unique talents, and practical skills over a singular final test score.

The Ministry of Education should liaise with police and involve parents and community leaders in fighting this fake exam papers scam by enhancing surveillance and enforcing regulations. But even more important, there is a need for a culture shift from the obsession with written examinations to the CBE, whose emphasis is on boosting knowledge and skills.

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