Education PS Belio Kipsang Criticizes KCSE/KCPE Exam Militarization
On Monday, December 5, the Principal Secretary of Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, announced modifications to the administration of national examinations.
Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) were affected by the recent revisions to national exams.
Dr. Kipsang was delivering a speech in Westlands Sub County, Nairobi County, when he opened a safe exam storage container carrying KCSE exam papers.
The PS criticized the prior government for having militarized exam administration.
“When I was in school examination booklets were brought and distributed by our teachers.”
“We need to go back to that system where we do not have police officers providing a round the clock security of national examinations,” Kipsang announced.
The senior PS revealed that only in the education sector did stakeholders operate under the police department’s cautious eye.
“Doctors and nurses are not accompanied by police officers to the theatre so we should not have officers accompanying teachers in distribution and invigilation of exams,” the PS noted.
Kipsang nonetheless challenged education administrators to demonstrate that they can be trusted with such a noble duty, stressing that the examinations were of enormous significance to the nation.
“No one should be worried when exam papers are at the hands of education managers and it is up to them to show Kenyans that they can handle materials which are of importance to this country,” he remarked.
In 2017, the then-Cabinet Secretary for Education declared military precision’ for national examinations and warned cheaters of strict penalties.
“Since then, police officers have become the public face of KCPE and KCSE administration, while Matiangi and his successor Prof. George Magoha have been criticized for militarizing the exam.
Education PS Belio Kipsang Criticizes KCSE/KCPE Exam Militarization
