Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Academies hit back at examiner



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Kenya Private Schools Association, secretary Harriet Mbutura (left) flanked by the national treasurer Kabiru Ndiritu address a press conference at the KIE on January 9, 2012. The association is calling for fair allocation of Form One slots. PHOTO/ JENNIFER MUIRURI |  NATION
Kenya Private Schools Association, secretary Harriet Mbutura (left) flanked by the national treasurer Kabiru Ndiritu address a press conference at the KIE on January 9, 2012. The association is calling for fair allocation of Form One slots. PHOTO/ JENNIFER MUIRURI | NATION 
By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, January 9  2012 at  22:30
IN SUMMARY
Private schools accuse State of failing to stop cheating and exonerate their members from examiner’s allegations
The government is to blame for rising incidents of cheating in national examinations, according to private schools.
The schools, under the umbrella body of Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), also defended their members against allegations that they were abetting the vice.
“Knec (Kenya National Examinations Council) should own up for failing to prevent cheating which occurs each year,” said Ms Harriet Mbutura, the association’s secretary.
It is also the responsibility of the government and its relevant agencies to ensure examinations remain credible, she said, adding that Knec should be held responsible not only for exam leakages but also poor administration and irregularities in marking.
Cheating in academies
The association also denied claims that some of its members were using unorthodox means to record high grades but instead said Knec should reveal the identities of those responsible.
Knec boss Paul Wasanga recently told the Sunday Nation that private schools were involved in cheating and erecting “walls” that made it difficult for authorities to eradicate the vice.
“Most cases of cheating in national examinations are recorded in private schools,” he said in the interview.
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In last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam, the council cancelled results of 344 schools. Out of these, 144 were private schools. According to Knec, the bulk of the 8,000 cheats were from private schools.
But Ms Mbutura told reporters in Nairobi that it was only the government that had the authority to identify and punish those who have flouted examination regulations.
“We intend to publish a (regulatory) Bill, but at the moment, education is manned by the government. Let it publish names of schools responsible.”
At the same time, private schools also want the government to come up with clear rules to guide the implementation of the quota system.
Specify criteria used
The system favours pupils from public schools over those in private schools, also known as academies.
The association said the Ministry of Education had not specified which criteria the system used to pick the pupils from public service.
Ms Mbutura also suggested that the system should favour schools in marginalised areas instead of all public schools.
The policy was adopted last year to enable more pupils from public schools join national secondary schools.
However, private schools have argued that it discriminates against children from private schools who pass exams.
On Monday, the association spent about three hours at the Kenya Institute of Education offices discussing the Form One selection and the proposed term date changes.
They later told journalists that they were against the suggestion to prolong terms one and two by more than four weeks.
This, they said, would be an inconvenience since they had planned and budgeted for the whole year.
The changes will also interfere with teachers who have registered for degree programmes most of whom attend classes when schools close.
“The ministry should wait for the report of the taskforce on education,” the association said.

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