Take urgent measures to avert disruption of exams

The national examinations and assessments are too important to be downplayed while other issues, including teachers’ pay demands, take priority. The young people have prepared for this moment for years and should be allowed to properly take the tests that will determine their future.

As more than 3.6 million candidates get ready for the tests, a teachers’ union has threatened to boycott examination duties. Delaying or disrupting exams can cause severe national anxiety. Unless checked, this labour dispute could unfairly penalise young people for issues beyond their control.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam candidates have already done their rehearsals and will begin their oral and practical papers tomorrow. The main papers will run from November 2 to November 20. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) candidates will begin their tests later this month.

This will, of course, place a heavy demand on schools, teachers and the government to provide exam materials, personnel and facilities. The above-average El Niño rains forecast will also compound the challenge.

The tests are a critical milestone for students, representing years of effort. Senior school principals have urged the government, the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) to quickly hold talks to avert the threatened boycott of the KCSE examination. Kuppet has decried low allowances for marking and invigilation.

The Kenya Senior School Heads Association (Kessha) is concerned that the threat by teachers involved in administering and marking examinations will disrupt the process, adversely affecting some 1,048,355 candidates. Funding shortfalls have also left schools borrowing for practical exam supplies.

This is a tricky national challenge that involves balancing the current immediate needs of students with the long-term demands and needs of the teaching profession. But for now, the arrangements for examinations must be prioritised.

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