Basic Education Principal secretary Belio Kipsang on Monday, December 5, 2022, revealed changes to the way the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) national exams are to be conducted.
Belio Kispang, while speaking at Westlands sub-county, claimed that the previous administration had militarized exam administration.
“We need to go back to that system where we do not have police officers providing round-the-clock security of national examinations,” Kipsang stated.
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The PS noted that the only industry where players worked under police surveillance was the education sector. However, Kipsang urged education administrators to demonstrate their readiness for such a noble responsibility, saying that the country placed great value on the examinations.
“No one should be worried when exam papers are at the hands of education managers and it is up to them to show Kenyans that they can handle materials that are of importance to this country,” he added.
Part of the changes the PS also mentioned include the use of exam storage containers as security facilities to curb examination irregularities.
“Going forward we will change the narrative that we do not trust our teachers and start using the containers as storage facilities instead of security watchpoints,” the PS said in a statement.
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In 2017, the then-Minister of Education Dr Fred Matiang’i proclaimed “military precision” for national exams and issued punishment against cheats. Since then, police officers have become the face of KCPE and KCSE administration, with Matiangi and his successor Prof George Magoha being criticized for militarizing the exercise.
Kipsang was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development in February 2021 to serve as the PS in charge of the Regional and Northern Corridor Development.
Among notable reforms when Dr Belio Kipsang was the PS in charge of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education in 2013, included the introduction of the New Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), a 100% transition policy, and the elimination of exam cheating.
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