Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on Tuesday announced a change in the role of head teachers and principals in the administration of the upcoming national examinations.
The role of heads of examination centres that will be used for the annual Kenya Certificate of Primary and Secondary Education (KCPE and KCSE) examinations will be expanded to include the witnessing of the opening of examination scripts.
The 37,238 school heads will also be required to witness the sealing of answer sheets, in person, after candidates complete the exam.
Their role will further be expanded to include personal responsibility to ensure unnecessary staff members stay away from the examination centre.
[caption caption="Education CS Amina Mohamed"]
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"To stamp out cheating, principals who are appointed as centre managers must rise to the occasion and provide leadership in the administration of examinations.
"The ministry will not condone cases where some teachers sneak into the precincts of school compounds with the single-most aim of helping students cheat," the CS warned.
Emphasizing the new changes, the CS noted that the school heads will be held responsible for cheating cases reported in their centres.
"These measures must be sustained and where necessary improved upon to ensure there is no retrogression whatsoever to the era of exam cheating and other irregularities which undermine our entire education system," she urged.
Previously, the heads of schools were only required to collect the exam packages at the sub-county centres.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) national Chairman Kahi Indimuli assured the CS that the school heads will cooperate with the ministry to implement the new changes.
"We also take pride in clean examinations and to that end, we shall offer our best to support the cause," the chair assured.
[caption caption="File image of CS Amina Mohamed with KNUT CEO Nancy Macharia"]
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