KNEC and TSC Contributing to Exam Cheating, Committee Told
The Departmental Committee on Education of the National Assembly in Kenya has started holding public hearings on allegations of malpractice in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams of 2022.
During the first hearing held in Nakuru City, various stakeholders told the committee how different players, including Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and the general public, have played a part in cheating and other malpractices in the administration of national exams.
Kamu Manyara, the Nakuru County chair for the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), said that the 2022 exam results’ integrity was questionable and required investigation.
Manyara blamed KNEC for not doing enough to safeguard examination materials before their due date, accusing the body of being the elephant in the room.
According to him, some rogue officers allowed certain schools to access the materials to give their candidates an edge over others, leading to a false impression of their performance.
“KNEC is the elephant in the room. It is not doing its work as expected. How can else can we explain exam materials leaking before they get to containers or school?” he posed.
Manyara also alleged that the marking schemes were circulating on social media before the exams were done, and doubted their authenticity only to learn they were genuine after the exams.
He called on KNEC to limit the number of people accessing exam materials and introduce security features that would help trace the origin of the leaked materials.
Manyara further alleged that some colluding ICT team members tasked with data entry after marking enter favorable grades for monetary favors.
Manyara regretted the pressure on school heads to deliver good results for candidates to pass, saying that such pressure drives them into unethical practices.
He also blamed TSC for pegging teachers’ promotion on the candidates’ performance, leading them to find ways to cheat for their benefit.
The committee will then make recommendations to the relevant authorities, including KNEC, TSC, and the Ministry of Education, on how to address the issues raised.
KNEC and TSC Contributing to Exam Cheating, Committee Told
