Despair as Students Miss KNEC Teacher Exams Due to Registration List Issues

Despair as Students Miss KNEC Teacher Exams Due to Registration List Issues

Twelve student teachers from Tana River and Garissa County, who were set to take the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) exams, have expressed their frustration at the Garissa Police Station, seeking explanations for their absence from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) registration list.

These candidates, eager to complete their studies and begin their teaching careers, found themselves unable to take the exams after discovering their names were missing from the registration list, despite having already paid over Ksh50,000 for the registration through a KNEC officer.

The students are demanding accountability from the director who allegedly registered them, asking for either a refund of their fees or permission to sit for the exams.

“We have been trying to pay the KNEC examination fee, but many of us discovered we were not on the registration list. Two of us were supposed to be registered for diplomas, but our names appeared under certificates instead,” shared Mohammed Chirau, one of the affected students.

Noor Kosar, another of the stranded students, has reached out for help, voicing her frustration and a strong desire for justice.

Meanwhile, the affected teachers are left in a state of uncertainty, questioning how they ended up missing from the registration list despite having fulfilled their financial obligations. They are seeking justice as they watch their peers move forward.

KNEC conducts exams for ECDE teachers to validate their qualifications. These exams are part of the Teacher Education Examinations (TEE), which evaluate the competency of individuals aspiring to specialize in early childhood education.

Every candidate wishing to become an ECDE teacher must pass these exams to obtain certification.

The examination body offers both Proficiency Certificates and diploma exams for these educators. Candidates who do not meet the direct entry requirements for the certificate course must first complete a proficiency certificate exam.

Starting in 2025, KNEC announced that repeaters for the ECDE Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE) and Primary Teacher Education (PTE) will retake their exams through a re-assessment portal.

Teachers pursuing a Certificate in ECDE must pay Ksh8,140 to KNEC for the exams, while those seeking a diploma in ECDE are required to pay between Ksh14,500 and Ksh20,000 per term.