TSC Wants Examiners Take COVID-19 Vaccine As They Enter Nairobi to Mark Exams
The Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) has implored teachers who shall participate in the marking exercise of the KCSE and KCPE exams to be vaccinated when they shall enter Nairobi County for the exercise.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia gave the directive while at Aquinas High School, Nairobi before the KCSE Mathematics Paper 1 examination commences on Monday.
Macharia said that the vaccine will protect teachers against infection with COVID-19 as they shall be marking the KCSE examination.
Nairobi County is one of the counties that President Uhuru Kenyatta declared ‘Disease Infested Areas’ alongside the counties of Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Nakuru. President Uhuru made the announcement following the emergence of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has already issued the modalities of transport to the teachers who are going to mark the national examinations.
71 examiners are set to travel to Nairobi County to mark the examinations. The markers are from six counties across the country.
The counties that the examiners will come from are Kwale, Tana River, Taita Taveta, Lamu, Mombasa, Kilifi and Tana River.
Each county has been assigned a Regional Coordinator who shall be in charge of transport modalities.
All county commissioners were directed to provide transport for the examiners who are set to travel to Nairobi using school buses. KNEC shall fuel the school buses via the respective county directors of education.
The last group will consist of teachers from Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir counties will travel to Nairobi on 2nd of April 2021.
Following fears over whether the COVID-19 pandemic’s third wave could interrupt the national examinations, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) assured that the KCSE examination will not be interrupted amid the COVID-19 containment measures put in place.
Besides, KNEC also assured that marking of the national examinations will not be interrupted even though the government installed tough measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.
This year, unlike in the other years, marking of the national examinations will be done in only one county – Nairobi.
Payment for Manning National Examination
KNEC has already revealed to the public the amount they will be paying Contracted Professionals.
KUPPET had complained on the amount KNEC will be paying examiners as well as marking centres.
According to the Examiner, KCPE Supervisors will be paid Kshs. 2,485 while every invigilator will earn Kshs. 1,616 for four days and Kshs. 1,050 for the driver transporting the examinations to and from the centres.
For the KCSE, invigilators in Nairobi and Mombasa counties shall be paid Kshs. 9,860 each while invigilators from other counties will earn Ksh. 7,820.
Principals of Secondary schools will be paid Kshs. 9,000 for the exercise. Security officers involved in the KCSE will get Kshs. 6,720 whil drivers shall earn 6,480 for the exercise.
Unfortunately, Deputy Principals are not part of the payment structure.
One important point to note is that KNEC will only pay teachers and officers registered on the KNEC CP2 portal.
Marking of KCPE
Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha said today that marking of the 2020’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations is at 35% completion.
1,191,725 candidates from 28,467 schools sat for the examination this year.
The examinations were rescheduled from the usual October to November period to March-April after the prolonged closure of schools to mitigate the impact of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CS Magoha, while supervising the opening of examination containers for the KCSE examinations that are going on, said that all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure results shall be released in good time.
The Mathematics and Chemistry Paper 1 were down today.
KNEC issued special passes to facilitate smooth monitoring of the examinations from the 479 containers where the materials are stored to all 10,437 examination centres.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia participated in taking the COVID-19 vaccination jab programme on the 11th of March 2021. The program had been rolled out for teachers across the country.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) revealed that 44 teachers have up to now succumbed to complications related to COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus in March 2020.
Dr. Nancy Macharia revealed the information when the vaccination for teachers was launched.
Teachers of age 50 and above.
However, TSC did not reveal the number of teachers who fall in that category.
Teachers in both private and public institutions shall be given priority for vaccination.
According to Dr. Macharia, the vaccine is a big boost to the education sector and emphasized that teachers should be involved in taking part in protecting themselves and leaners for delivering quality curriculum.
“Walimu tujiking na COVID-19! Take the Jab for free! Today TSC launched the teachers’COVID-19 vaccination program. While taking the vaccine, the Commission CEO, Dr. Nancy Macharia called on teachers to take advantage of this exercise,” TSC had said through their Facebook page.
During the drive, Dr. Willis Akhwale was also present. Dr. Willis Akhwale is the chairperson of the COVID-19 taskforce for vaccine deployment. He asked teachers to get vaccinated in large numbers and assured them that the vaccine is legit and safe.
“The launch of the vaccination is a clear demonstration that the government is committed to ensure learning continues,” Dr. Akhwale said.
Dr. Akhwale said that the Ministry of Education launched 575 vaccination posts in the country. All frontline workers shall be vaccinated at these posts.
According to Dr. Willis, the Ministry has also begun Chanjo Kenya platform where teachers and anyone vaccinated can pre-register before getting vaccinated.
TSC and KNEC’s plan to vaccinate at least 200,000 teachers who were to man the KCPE and KCSE examinations did not succeed after many teachers became unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccination jab.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19’s third wave, President Uhuru Kenyatta suspended physical learning in all learning institutions including universities and other colleges, except for those doing examinations and those attending medical training institutions.
The KCSE examination is set to end on 21st of April and the government is expected to give directions on how students shall move in and out of the zoned areas of Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru and Kajiado counties if COVID-19 restrictions shall still be in force.
The Ministry of Education has assured safeguarding security and integrity of the examination process.
“I have directed that, during the KCSE examination, we will work with the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination of Government to ensure that we have at least two armed police officers at each examination center.
“One of the armed police officers will be guarding the day’s unopened examination papers while the other police officer will be engaged in routine daily patrol,” said Prof George Magoha in the last week.
Marking of the already completed Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) is in progress.
The Ministry said that marking will be done as soon as possible to allow for Form One Selection.
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