Govt Unveils Training for Nurses After UK English Test Embarrassment

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (centre) receiving the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (centre) receiving the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, March 2, 2021.
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The government has jumped to the rescue of nurses seeking to secure jobs in the UK following reports of mass failure by the candidates in the country's English test.

In a statement shared on Saturday, October 30, the Nursing Council of Kenya indicated that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection are working on modalities to prepare nurses and midwives that wish to sit for the tests to improve their success rate.

In the statement, the council argued that the nurses did not fail the test but were rather ambushed and had not adequately prepared for the exam.

"Following the call for applications, the National Employment Authority (NEA) received and submitted 3329 applications from interested persons to the Nursing Council of Kenya for verification and shortlisting of candidates.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe During the Official Launch of Kenya's Largest Oxygen Plant at the MTRH on Monday, August 30, 2021.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe During the Official Launch of Kenya's Largest Oxygen Plant at the MTRH on Monday, August 30, 2021.
KBC

"Based on the evaluation criteria, 2685 candidates were shortlisted and required to submit additional requirements. The Council received a total of 2050 responses and it was established that those who had met the criteria, done and passed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Computer-Based Tests (CBT) were 14, and only 9 had valid certificates of both tests," read the statement in part.

A source told Kenyans.co.ke that in the tests, known as Band 7, all interested candidates who score less than 6.5 points cannot proceed to the next level.

"In that view, it was deemed as if nurses were probably ambushed to apply for the same. Most of them revealed that they had not done International English Language Testing System and  Computer-Based Tests. As a follow up question, we were asked if they had applied for the same because you would find some nurses have only one of the certificates.

"We are trying to prepare those that have registered for the same through the Ministry of Labour and Health to ensure that they are adequately prepared," stated the source.

On Wednesday, October 27, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe disclosed that only ten nurses who underwent an English test for the United Kingdom, passed.

In an interview, Kagwe urged nurses who would like to explore opportunities in future to be conversant with the English language.

Some of the nurses affiliated to Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), however, blamed the Ministry for exposing their performance.

They claimed that Kagwe made the announcement in the wrong forum.

“He ridiculed us before other health workers during the meeting. The statement was unfortunate, a test is supposed to be private and shouldn’t be discussed in public. It was wrong for the CS to release such a report without informing those who sat the test,” stated KNUN Deputy Secretary-General Morris Opetu, in an interview with a local daily.

Nurses protest outside Afya House in Nairobi during a nationwide strike on September 11, 2017.
Nurses protest outside Afya House in Nairobi during a nationwide strike on September 11, 2017.
Daily Nation