No police officers for KCSE, KPSEA exams administration this year.

In summary:

• Knec to administer KCSE, KILEA and KPSEA exams without police officers’ involvement.
• Other Knec contracted professionals to be retained.
• Plans to roll out grade 9 summative assessment underway.

The Ministry of Education has banned police officers involvement in this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams.

While addressing the Inaugural Annual Symposium on Competency Based Assessment at the College of Insurance in Nairobi’s South C, Education Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang announced that presence of police officers in exam centres caused unnecessary trauma to the learners.

“This is the most opportune time to change how we administer assessments. I will be very surprised to see police officers in assessment rooms this year. It’s time to let our children be children” said Basic Education PS, Dr. Belio Kipsang.

This means that the Government will spend less funds in administration of the national examinations. Other contracted professionals (Supervisors, Invigilators and Centre Managers) will be retained.

The Education sector Stakeholders congregated in Nairobi to discuss areas of common interest on educational assessment and charting the way forward. The symposium was convened by the Kenya National Examinations Council, Knec.

It also emerged that the Council is in the process of developing final junior School exams to be administered at Grade nine.

“As part of preparations for summative assessment at Grade 9, we will develop assessment tools for a pilot to be conducted in sampled schools in June. By October, we will issue sample papers to inform every learner at Junior School of how they will be assessed at Grade 9.” Announced Knec Chief Executive Officer David Njeng’ere.

Njengere said this was in line with the Odhiambo Taskforce of 2012 which recommended that Knec changes their identity to an assessment council to transform from one-off, terminal exams to nurturing every learner’s potential through continuous assessments.

“We’ve started the journey to this transformation”, added the Knec Boss.

The theme for the Inaugural Symposium on Competency Based Assessments is “Shaping the Future of Education. Nurturing Learner’s Potential through Competency Based Assessment.”