Exam rule pushed to November

PHOTO | GIDEON MAUNDU | FILE A student sits for his KCSE Biology practical at Tiwi Secondary School in Kwale County. Registration of candidates sitting national examinations next year has been pushed to November.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By DAVID ADUDA daduda@ke.nationmedia.com and GEOFFREY RONO grono@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, May 26  2013 at  23:30

Registration of candidates sitting national examinations next year has been pushed to November.

In a circular sent to all secondary and primary schools, the national examiner says the pre-registration, which was initially slated for June and July, was intended to collect data on those in Form Three and Standard Seven, and avoid a situation where candidates and schools have to do so in rush at the beginning of the year.

“The deadline for pre-registration of Standard Seven and Form Three candidates who intend to sit the 2014 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations has been extended to begin from 1st and end by 30th November this year,” says the circular.

The candidates are not required to pay exam fees during the pre-registration, says the circular signed by Kenya National Examinations Council Secretary Paul Wasanga.

“The pre-registration is not meant for collection of fees but for monitoring and planning purposes. Collection of fees will be done between January and March 2014,” says Mr Wasanga.

Dated May 23, the circular asks headteachers to collect and upload data of the candidates, including date of birth, onto Knec’s website from where they will be processed in readiness for full registration early next year.

Since the introduction of online registration a few years ago, many schools have had difficulties in uploading all the required data, hence the plan to start the exercise early to avoid last minute rush and give teachers and candidates ample time to make corrections where necessary.

Experts also see the pre-registration as a way of curbing unethical practices among schools, which force non-performing candidates to repeat Form Three or Standard Seven.

Meanwhile, Bomet county director of Education said the directive should also be extended to cover Standard Six and those in forms one and two so that parents can pay the fees in piece meal.

Speaking to the media at the education offices in Bomet town, Mr Anyika called on officials of teachers’ unions to give Knec a chance to implement the plan and wait for its negative impact in education sector, if any, before complaining.