Many Kenyans considered this academic year lost and strategies to reopen schools have raised crucial concerns around national examinations and term dates:
The education stakeholders allege that a debate over examination dates is premature. Media sources say that candidates will return to class first and are likely to sit for their national examination in April 2021. But questions about syllabus coverage and the practicality of sitting for exams within that period of time continues to arise.
According to the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kisumu executive secretary, Zablon Awange, the government must swallow their humble pile and reintroduce tuition that it had banned previously if we are to cover the syllabus as and the students are doing the exams in April, then
Zablon Awange noted that full reopening is not possible with social distancing in place adding that without tuition, the country should introduce double shifts for students.
"Exams to me can be done any time as long as the learners are well prepared, given time to complete the syllabus, given the time to revise, and the Teachers are set to do that so that when that time comes the children have confidence in facing the exams." Said John Awiti the County Education Executive Committee Member CEECM, Kisumu.
Authorities say that all this talk is unnecessary. "Why are you talking about exams? They are not yours, it is the curriculum that will be teaching. We would decide how learners will take exams and what types of exams in liaison with the agency" Sossion said during a press release at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) headquarters.
John Awiti said that the time exams are done formal arrangements will be done on marking and then the results will be out. Decisions will be made by relevant authorities on how to do it, the Universities will know when to hand in these students that are supposed to join them, and the tertiary colleges will know the time they can admit the students.
"So To me, that one is not a serious issue and this debate should stop on the opening of schools." John Awiti said adding that we don't need to rush the children to meet the syllabus but we can allow them to cover what is expected of them and when the appropriate time comes they will move to the next class.
"In a short period those questions of students repeating and doing that… It shall be handled. The government will announce and will pronounce and that's it" Sossion. Other concerns are whether the December holiday will be observed as usual or will be cut short to recover the lost time.
