KNEC introduces New grading system to Boost Final KCSE Grades
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is creating a new grading scheme for Form Four candidates using the 8-4-4 system.
The 8-4-4 education structure provided for exams that were primarily summative for certification and placement, according to the recommendations given by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER), according to Chief Executive David Njengere.
Kenya has used the same grading system for a very long period, and despite minor adjustments, PWPER recognised the issue and called for a review of the grading system after seeing how the issue had persisted over time.
According to the working group, the KCSE grading system takes into account seven subjects: English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, two science topics, and two other subjects. This disadvantages some students whose best-performing subject is not taken into account if it is not in the cluster.
While Maths and any Science subject assess a learner’s numerical abilities, English and Kiswahili gauge their reading skills.
The official added, “We have used the grading system for a very long time, and we have attempted to tweak it here and there. I am delighted PWPER has identified that problem and recommended we look at our grading system.
He said this as part of the 39th Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) conference, which Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi was presiding over.
PWPER suggested that the KCSE examination mean score be calculated by KNEC using the three best-performing subjects—Mathematics, English, or Kiswahili—and five additional courses.
He claimed that other Anglophone nations like Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda do not do as well as Kenya, and that this scenario needs to be addressed.
The CEO stated, “Remember, even though we are getting rid of the 8-4-4 system, we still have five groups. We are going to look at PWPER recommendations and come up with a proposal on how grading can be affected.”
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“If we register over 900,000 candidates annually, that amounts to close to 5 million candidates, so we must find a way to ensure we mitigate the effects of grading that have a negative impact on the outcomes,” the speaker continued. We’re taking a look at that and we’ll be holding a conference of stakeholders to discuss how to change the grading system.
A norm-referenced and criterion-referenced summative evaluation is given at the conclusion of the elementary and secondary school cycles, respectively, according to the PWPER report. Except for some secondary school subjects that require practical and project work, school-based assessments are given during the learning process but do not count towards the final grade.
Njengere made the comments even as he insisted there was no need to worry about the upcoming national exams, which are scheduled for approximately two months, and he pleaded with parents to stop being persuaded to buy phoney papers.
Njengere added that the nation must find a way to build procedures that are effective enough to thwart any attempts at fraud.
Assuring teachers that they have been professional and objective in how they administer tests, Njengere added that trust is a key element of assessment and that Kenyans should be aware that teachers are present for the majority of the school year.
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He said that KNEC has been using the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) since 2019 and that the results demonstrate the professionalism of the teachers.
This occurred as Mudavadi encouraged African nations to give education reforms top priority since they will give all students the same chances. He praised the function of examiners and assessors, noting that as experts, they ascertain each learner’s actual aptitudes inside the educational system.
In order to make investments, policies, job placements, evaluations, and reforms, governments rely on the goods you have fashioned. When one considers how logisticians typically succeed in attracting millions of young people, cheers, and salutations… Your logistical task is typically larger because you are contacting more people but have not yet received any petitions, which indicates that you are doing something correctly, according to Mudavadi.
Belio Kipsang, principal secretary for education, urged the delegates to investigate if educational evaluation in Africa is producing the intended results because it is crucial to determining how individual nations handle their own problems.
KNEC introduces New grading system to Boost Final KCSE Grades
