Sixty-seven (67) schools failed to collect their examination papers on Monday leading to uncertainty and confusion.
According to the Ministry of Education, most of the affected schools are those that closed following the COVID-19 pandemic leading to pupils having to register in other schools.
52 schools in Uasin Gishu did not sit for the ongoing examinations after the Centre Managers failed to collect the examination papers. In Bungoma, it was a similar situation with 15 private schools also failing to collect their examination papers.
While overseeing the distribution of examination papers in Turbo Sub-County, Early Learning and Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Jwan said that the schools are mainly private schools in the sub-county level that had registered learners but closed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have a number of KPSEA materials that have not been picked because registration took place when learners were in Grade Three but during COVID, these 53 centres were closed. Some had six, other five registered candidates but we are flexible so that if we find a school that has fewer papers, we will take them there,” said PS Jwan.
Jwan oversaw the distribution of national examination materials for the Kenya Primary School Examination Assessment (KPSEA) for grade six and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) for the class eight candidates to 160 KPSEA Centres and 180 KCPE Centres in Turbo sub-county.
The national examinations began at 6:00 am in Uasin Gishu County.
A school in Nakuru County is being investigated for irregularly transferring candidates to other schools to sit for examinations.
According to the PS, the said school was being probed over irregularities related to transferring candidates to other schools to sit for their examinations.
Narok County in the spotlight over pregnancy cases among candidates
Narok County is once again in the spotlight after 248 expectant candidates sat for their examination with the government having already assured them of full support during the examination period.
The county has been leading in pregnancy cases among candidates for some time and authorities have been doing their best to sensitize the communities and learners on the same.
In Tana River, nine candidates who are currently doing their KPSEA examination had to travel 135 kilometres for them to be able to sit for their examinations after they found out that they had registered at different examination centres.
Despite the challenges with drought also a key one, the national examinations went on well yesterday and today without much fuss.
Schools are yet to know how the placement of learners at the Junior Secondary School level under the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) will be done. However, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Ezekiel Machogu assured parents that the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) will issue a report on the views collected within two weeks and this will then inform the decision on the transition of learners to JSS.
Regarding learners with disabilities, 11,000 learners living with disabilities are sitting for their Kenya Intermediate Level Education (KILEA) which began on Monday and shall come to an end tomorrow on Wednesday.