“Exams Are Ready,” Magoha Tells Principals On KCPE, KCSE Postponement

“Exams Are Ready,” Magoha Tells Principals On KCPE, KCSE Postponement

Prof. George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, responded to headteachers’ requests to postpone the KCPE and KCSE exams.

Magoha assuaged concerns that the national exams, scheduled for March 2021, would be postponed.

Magoha stated at Kabarak University’s 17th graduation ceremony that postponing exams would not solve the growing cases of student unrest in schools.

“The examinations are ready. Candidates should not panic. Let them be calm and prepare for the tests, which have taken into consideration challenges occasioned by disruptions to the academic calendar,” the CS stated.

He went on to say that President Uhuru Kenyatta urged all students and graduates at Kabarak to follow the law and refrain from vandalism, arson, and other vices that could jeopardize their future.

“The country has experienced insecurity and other social challenges. I call upon those graduating today and the entire student fraternity to desist from engaging in retrogressive practices,” an excerpt of Uhuru’s speech, read by Mating’i read.

To quell the unrest, Magoha and his Interior CS counterpart, Fred Matiang’i, had earlier called for the reintroduction of caning in schools.

“We must discipline our children. So our work is to build schools as they destroy down? It’s tough love, our children must understand that parents sacrifice a lot for them,” Matiang’i noted.

With an increase in student unrest in schools, principals claimed that they were ill-prepared and needed more time to prepare for the exams.

“When we brought on board Form Four students last year, other students stayed at home for long. During that period, they were not properly engaged, and some ventured into businesses while others became mischievous,” Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Kahi Indimuli stated.

“While at home, they had a lot of free time. Once they came back to school, they realized that they were not prepared for the examinations,” he added. 

Buruburu Girls High School and Ofafa Jericho in Nairobi, Kanjuri High School and Karima Boys High School in Nyeri were among the schools affected by the unrest.

Busia’s Sigalame High School and Namboboto Secondary School, Vihiga Boys Secondary School and Chavakali High School, and Kakamega County’s Kakamega High School.

Parents bore the brunt of the burden, as they were forced to pay for repairs and construction of vandalized or burned-down classrooms and dormitories.

School heads had called for early school closure and national exam postponement for two months in order to calm student unrest.

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The principals also proposed that schools close early to address the growing indiscipline among students.

They argued that the students may not be prepared to take the national exams scheduled for March of next year, resulting in an increase in arson cases.

“Exams Are Ready,” Magoha Tells Principals On KCPE, KCSE Postponement