Magoha Hits KCPE/KCSE Exam Supervisors With New Restrictions

Education CS George Magoha with KCPE Candidates at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
Education CS George Magoha with KCPE Candidates at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
Photo
Ministry of Education

Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, on Tuesday, March 8, slapped the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) supervisors with new instructions.

Speaking in Nyeri County, CS Magoha announced that supervisors and invigilators of the national exams will not be allowed to carry their mobile phones to examination centers.

The CS stated that the directive takes effect immediately and that the supervisors and invigilators will leave their phones at the office of the respective centre managers before accessing the exam rooms.

KCPE Candidates at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
KCPE Candidates at the Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
Photo
Ministry of Education

"What we want to emphasize very firmly is that nobody should enter the examination room with their phones, that includes the center managers. They (center managers) must ensure that all the invigilators and supervisors deposit their phones with them before accessing the exam centers," directed the CS.

The Education boss noted that the decision was arrived at after some officials were accused of engaging in exams malpractices such as using the internet to get answers for the students.

Magoha, who has on numerous occasions warned students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders against exam cheating, assured that the accused will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

"Yesterday, we were able to pick certain center managers taking images of the exam paper about 39 minutes after the exam started. This is not acceptable and we are not going to take it lightly," he warned.

This led to the apprehension of six people among them police officers and an examinations center manager overseeing the administration of KCPE exams in Wajir County. The six are currently under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Their mobile phones were also confiscated to help the DCI officers in establishing the reason behind their move to take photos of the examination papers.

Earlier on, the CS had warned parents and teachers of a new form of cheating where candidates were offered fixed results by some officials from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

In the elaborate scheme, the students would submit their examination index numbers to the individuals who would then manipulate the outcome of their results at a fee. However, the CS noted that he had agencies dispatched to track down and bring the perpetrators to book.

"We want to warn principals, especially those who want to give certain people index numbers of their children in the hope of getting fake examination results to stop wasting their time.

"We are going to take very firm action without any mercy because we are dealing with two million learners," the CS stated.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha during the distribution of KCPE exams
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha during the distribution of KCPE exams
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