The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and some teachers have disclosed how a mistake by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) led to the leakage of KCPE exams.
Teachers noted that KNEC lifted Social Studies and English exams from two books that had been widely circulated to Class 8 candidates before sitting the exams in March 2021.
The KCPE candidates, mostly from private schools were very familiar with the tests. Last month in February 2021, they had done the tests after purchasing the books by Distinction Educational Publishers.
“When a similar test is predicted and it appears in the KNEC exams, then it shows there was a leakage. The credibility and reliability of national exams is tarnished,” Sossion told the Nation on Thursday, March 25.
“Even though exams are set from learning material available, KNEC going on to publish the same tests indicates that we have a serious issue with our exam process,” Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary-General, Akelo Misori added.
Exam stakeholders thus raised various questions among them being whether KNEC tendered the publishers to set the exams as well as how the council will rectify the error as schools that had done the tests before now have a wide advantage.
The publishers distanced themselves from the scandal, stating that they only release tests used to analyze students’ preparedness.
“If KNEC used our content, then we don’t have any issue with them. Our books have been used for the past years,” a director at the company responded.
The Education CS George Magoha was confident that no leakage had happened while speaking to the press on Wednesday, March 24. The CS earlier warned private schools, police officers, suppliers, teachers, and students of engaging in exam cheating.
“This ministry will not take cheating lightly, and this is why we are sending a warning to all those planning to confuse our children or parents that the full force of the law will be used against those found culpable,” said Magoha.
Education stakeholders are keen to see whether Magoha would take necessary action against KNEC. The council said that it would state the matter as marking of the KCPE tests began on Thursday, March 25.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams begin on Friday, March 26.
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