Analysis of the recently released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) has revealed that 11,523 candidates failed to sit for their examination.
This represents a decrease when compared to last year’s 12,424 who did not take tests in 2020. However, the trend is still a huge concern for education stakeholders.
Some stakeholders have blamed candidate registration which is done early enough before the tests are done.
On his part, Akello Misori the Secretary-General of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) stated that the registration of candidates should be done early enough and not a year before the tests are scheduled.
According to Misori other causes of students missing out on their examination is due to some candidates will drop out of school due to pregnancies or previous marriages, among other factors.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu spoke similar sentiments saying that there is quite a long period between registration and examinations may be the reason why some students miss out on their examinations.
He also mentioned other factors such as marriages, teenage pregnancies and child labour as some of the reasons that contribute to the rising number of absenteeism during KCPE examinations.
The Kenya National Examinations conducted registration of students for the KCPE examinations while they were still in Standard Seven. This in turn helps the examiner to register candidates early to allow it to plan ahead of time.
The Country Manager of Uwezo, Emmanuel Manyasa said that an organization involved in the push for increased access to education to improve literacy and numeracy levels, explaining that early registration of candidates is done to ensure that there is ample time for planning to be done. He added that we have attached too much value to examinations.
The relocation was also cited with some children unable to relocate leading to them missing out on their examinations.
Collins Oyuu said that the prolonged closure of schools caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic played a part in many children ending up in early marriages.
According to the KNUT Sec-Gen, some children drop out of school due to hostile environments in their homes. Exam fever is another issue he mentioned which contributed to a large number of candidates avoiding the tests.
“Some of the children face cruelty in their homes, some end up disappearing and others chose to live with relatives who may not be ready to take them back to school. We appeal to parents to take care of their children and prioritize their education,” said Mr Collins Oyuu.
Drought and insecurity have also been blamed leading to interference in the administration of the examinations leading to many students missing out.
Registration of ghost candidates was also a crucial issue that Akello Misori pointed out. Some schools do so in order to comply with the government’s requirement for examination centres of having at least 30 candidates.