Tuesday, November 16, 2010

MP brings motion to scrap KCPE


Joseph Kanyi | NATION Pupils take the national examination at PCEA Nyamachaki Primary School in Nyeri last Tuesday.  This could be the last primary school national exams.
Joseph Kanyi | NATION Pupils take the national examination at PCEA Nyamachaki Primary School in Nyeri last Tuesday. This could be the last primary school national exams. 
By SAMUEL SIRINGI ssiringi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, November 15 2010 at 21:00
Parliament is set to debate a motion that could lead to the abolition of national examinations for Standard Eight pupils.
Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni has given notice of a motion that calls for the scrapping of the 25-year old Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.
All that remains is for the House Business Committee of Parliament, headed by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, to allocate the motion time for debate.
That could happen as early as Wednesday or same day next week since private members’ motions are usually scheduled on that day whenever the House is in session.
Both primary and secondary school head teachers’ associations welcomed the motion, terming it long overdue.
In his notice, Mr Kioni says all pupils who sit primary school exams should be allowed a smooth transition to secondary schools.
His notice states: “This House resolves that the government abolishes the KCPE and provide for a continuous, uninterrupted education system from level one to Form Four in order to accord all Kenyan students universal basic education.”
Mr Kioni argues that education was a fundamental human right, which each child was entitled to.
If all children had access to quality education, he said, “we will create a ripple effect of opportunity that impacts (on) generations to come”.
It will also be a contributor to the fight against poverty if graduates found jobs.
“Quality basic education better equips girls and boys with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt healthy lifestyles.”
He said educated children were more likely to have fewer children and to adopt better practices in bringing up their children.
If the proposal is approved and passed, then the Education ministry must seek urgent measures to double the secondary school admissions to allow in 741,000 more students.
The candidates who completed their KCPE last week could be the last group to sit the exams, if the tests are abolished before the MPs proceed on recess.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Cleophas Tirop urged MPs to urgently pass the motion.
He said his organisation had repeatedly made appeals that the KCPE be scrapped.
“The exam has only succeeded in locking out thousands of children from secondary education, thus affecting transition rates to higher education,” he said.
“We cannot allow this in the dawn of a new Constitution,” he said.
Mr Tirop said the system should be replaced by one that only acts as a test for candidates who would then be identified to join selected schools and talent academies.
Addressing primary school heads in Mombasa recently, Mr Tirop had proposed that pupils who fail to gain admission in secondary schools be allowed to study during holidays when others are on vacation like was happening at the universities.
“There is no way a Standard Eight child can be called a failure as we are doing currently,” he said.
On Monday, the Primary Schools Head Teachers Association chairman Joseph Karuga also welcomed the motion.
He said provision of free basic education to secondary schools was within required international standards.
In October, Education permanent secretary James Ole Kiyiapi said the new Constitution did not provide for children dropping out of schools.
“We must change the curriculum to allow for examinations that encourage progress (of children to other levels of education),” he said.
“We cannot have a system that allows for dropouts since the Constitution does not permit us to,” the PS said.

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