By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, March 8 2012 at 19:50
Posted Thursday, March 8 2012 at 19:50
Education Minister Sam Ongeri was on Thursday put on the spot by MPs over the cancellation of Form Four examination results for 3,000 candidates.
The angry members demanded a thorough investigation by the Parliamentary Committee on Education on the matter.
MPs from North Eastern insisted that candidates from the region were unfairly punished and demanded that a special committee be set up by the government to investigate the matter.
But Prof Ongeri, who was issuing a ministerial statement in the House, said the results were cancelled after he directed officers to re-examine cases of affected candidates.
Most of the cancelled results in 154 centres were due to collusion between students and outsiders and smuggling materials in examination rooms. (READ: Report lifts lid on KCSE exam cheats)
He said candidates affected by the cancellation have a window of opportunity to appeal.
Prof Ongeri also defended the actions of the Kenya National Examination Council officers (Knec) arguing that candidates who cheat make a mockery of the values they are supposed to have acquired in school.
“They will go through life expecting to get everything through cheating,” he stated firmly.
The ministry may extend the registration period to give them an opportunity to register for the exam afresh.
About 40 per cent of candidates from North Eastern province were affected by the decision.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim speaking in his capacity as the Ladgera MP, however, argued that the law was clear that cancelled results shall not be available for reassessment.
“Whatever Knec does is final and no panel or independent body can re-examine,” he stated.
Isiolo South MP Abdul Bahari said the ministry should set up a special committee to look into the matter and allow parents of candidates to sit in the team that will look at the contested scripts.
Dujis MP Aden Duale urged the committee to conduct a forensic audit into the matter.
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