12 student teachers scheduled to sit for the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) from Tana River and Garissa County have stormed the Garissa Police Station, demanding answers over why they were missing from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) registration list.
The 12 candidates who were eager to sit for their exams, complete their studies, and embark on their journey toward a teaching career have remained stranded after they could not sit for the exams.
The student teachers could not find their names in the registration list, yet they had already paid for the exams. The students had paid over Ksh50,000 for registration through a KNEC officer and expected to be registered, only to find their names missing from the list.
The student teachers demanded that the director who allegedly registered them be apprehended and their funds be refunded, or they be allowed to sit for the exams.
''We have been trying to pay for the KNEC examination fee; however, most of us found that we were missing from the registration list. Two of us were supposed to be registered for diplomas, but in the list, the name can be under certificate,'' Mohammed Chirau, one of the students, revealed.
Noor Kosar, one of the 12 stranded students, has made a plea for assistance, expressing frustration and a strong desire for justice.
Meanwhile, the affected teachers, who had been demanding action, were left in uncertainty, questioning how they ended up missing from the registration list despite having paid the required fees. They are seeking justice since they remain frustrated, yet their mates forge forward.
KNEC administers exams for ECDE teachers to certify their qualifications. The exams are part of the Teacher Education Examinations (TEE), which assess the competency of individuals wishing to specialise in early childhood education.
Every candidate who wishes to be an ECDE teacher must take the exams to be certified.
The exam body provides both Proficiency Certificates and diploma exams for these teachers. Candidates who do not meet direct entry requirements for the certificate course must first take a proficiency certificate exam.
Effective 2025, KNEC announced that repeaters for the ECDE Diploma in Teacher Education (DTE) and Primary Teacher Education (PTE) would resit their exams through a re-assessment portal.
Teachers sitting for a Certificate in ECDE must part with Ksh8,140, paid to KNEC for the exams.
For a diploma in ECDE, teachers must pay between 14,500 and 20,000 per term.
