Teachers from various schools have raised concern over the performance of students due to the new model used by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).
The examination body began school assessment on Monday, January 18 and ended on Friday, January 22.
In administering its examination for learners in Grade One to Three and Five to Seven, KNEC used a blend of multiple choice and essay-based questions.
Speaking to The Nation, some teachers noted that a majority of the students were not accustomed to the new model as they were used to the multiple-choice questions.
"Learners in Grade One to Three did not have a big problem answering the quizzes but for those in Class Five, Six and Seven, the assessments were a bit difficult," one teacher explained.
Teachers noted that most students could not remember what they studied before schools closed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the teachers, students from public schools and the private informal sector were mostly affected due to this new model since their respective schools did not engage them in digital learning during the nine-month break.
The same model had raised concerns last year when Grade Four and Eight were assessed.
KNEC will prepare a report on the performance of students countrywide after teachers upload the results on the KNEC portal.
The examination body began its school-based assessment in a bid to establish the extent to which students were affected during the pandemic period.
According to KNEC CEO Mercy Karogo, the tests were drawn from previous classes and what the students learned in term one.
Grade Seven were assessed in all subjects whereas Grade Five and Six were assessed in Maths, English, Kiswahili and Science. Grade One to Three were tested on the elementary basics of Maths, English and Kiswahili.
