The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced measures put in place to ensure the national examinations proceed smoothly regardless of the teachers' strike.
With the practical exams – oral foreign language tests – having kicked off in some schools, KNEC has dispatched assessors who would be working with the school administrations, to ensure the practicals are conducted and the results handed over to the examination council.
According to the examination's body Chief Executive Officer, the invigilators have been working with KNEC over the years, and were normally teachers trained over time to work as examiners.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has reportedly sent out letters to 49,000 teachers who are supposed to ensure the supervision of the national exams. The selected teachers are among the lot on strike.
School Principals have been tasked to foresee the picking of exam papers and ensure the selected teachers under their jurisdiction append their signatures on the contracts.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, KNEC CEO Joseph Kivilu noted that the council required at least 30,000 teachers to supervise and invigilate the exams.
Kivilu further affirmed that they were working with the security agencies to ensure the candidates' safety.
“We are working closely with government security agencies and to disrupt learning or even examination in a school is a criminal offense, the government is taking care of that and we have also requested for reinforcement around schools,” Dr Kivilu stated.
He sort to clear any speculations that National Youth Service (NYS) personnel would be used in the administration of the exams.
“We have always worked with NYS especially when we receive examination consignments from abroad, but we have never and we don’t intend to use them during the administration of exams, their work stops at receiving the consignment of examinations,” said the CEO.
The KNEC boss, however, noted that they wished the strike would be called off, since its only teachers who could offer the professional administration needed.
Teachers have vowed to boycott supervision of the exams should the government fail to follow through their demands.
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