The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has finally paid thousands of teachers, security officers and drivers who took part in the administration of the 2021 national tests in March and April.
The council on Friday wired the allowances to 86,026 personnel involved in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams but the examiners who marked the papers will have to wait a little longer before their dues are processed.
Knec has a busy schedule this year as it prepares to administer the second set of national examinations in one calendar year from November. KCPE was administered between March 7 and 9 whereas KCSE ran from March 10 to April 1.
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During the tests, 9,982 centre managers, 10,102 supervisors, 44,614 invigilators and 19,328 security officers were involved. Over the years, contracted officials have complained over delayed payments. Many of them have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.
Verify data
Knec CEO David Njeng’ere told the Nation that it takes the council time to get and verify data on the contracted professionals before paying them.
“It’s not a delay but an issue of procedure and that’s why it takes time,” he said. Since 2018, the government has been waiving examination fees for all candidates in both public and private schools.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education hopes to regularise the academic calendar that was disrupted by the pandemic in 2020.
Under the competency-based curriculum (CBC), learners in Grades Three, Four, Five and Six will all be engaged in end-of-grade assessments that will be school-based. Pupils in Grades Four,Five and Six will earn marks that will each contribute to 20 per cent of their final score at the end of the primary cycle.
Thereafter, Grade Six learners will undertake the first Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) that will be marked out of 40 per cent.
The assessment will be administered alongside the KCPE examinations from November 28 to 30. This will be the second last KCPE examinations before the last 8-4-4 class exits in November next year.
Grade Six learners will be assessed on five subjects. English and mathematics on the first day, integrated science (science and technology, agriculture, home science and physical and health education) and Kiswahili on the second day, and creative arts and social studies on the third day. They also include arts and craft, religious education and music.
Knec will then administer the KCSE examinations from December 2 to 23.
The council will also administer business examinations next month, technical papers in June and July and the Kenya Intermediate Level Assessment in November. These are undertaken by special needs pupils whose learning is stage-based before they proceed to pre-vocational level under the CBC.
In July, teacher trainees studying the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education will sit Knec examinations. The registration process for the KSEA, KCPE and KCSE examinations was completed last month and Knec has invited parents and candidates to confirm their details. BY DAILY NATION