Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has given clear instructions to headteachers on exam malpractices. It has directed all headteachers to inspect classrooms to ensure health and safety of learners and teachers.
Another priority was given to enhanced security for the tests with schools directed on strict conduct.
KNEC Acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo has instructed that all test materials should be stored safely in the headteachers’ office and only produced when needed.
“To ensure security and safety, the printed assessment tools should be stored in the headteacher’s office in a lockable cabinet,” said Karogo.
All primary school heads have been instructed to download the assessment tools from KNEC website and make them ready a day before start of the tests.
However, timetables, advance instructions, scoring guides and learner’s questioners are ready and can be produced for further planning.
Further, KNEC Wants stored assessment tools, retrieved and issued to the teachers administering the tests based on the timetable.
This process is similar to an advance delivery of the national examination question papers to the sub-county headquarters for safe storage in containers.
The details are contained in a KNEC document titled ‘guidelines for the conduct of school based learning assessments’. The tests will be administered from Wednesday, October 21 to Monday, October 26.
During the administration of the tests, KNEC wants teachers to ensure there are no foreign or stimulus material in classrooms that may facilitate cheating.
“Teachers shall confirm attendance of learners, account for any absentee and brief them on the conduct of assessments,” said Karogo.
A schedule of the assessments for Grade Four class shows that on Wednesday, part one of the English test will last between 10 and 15 minutes.