The Ministry of Education has announced a national standardized assessment for all pupils transitioning from nursery to standard one, as a way of stripping public schools off the power to administer commercial exams.
Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang said through the newly established tool; Kenya School Readiness Assessment Tool (KSRAT), pupils would be gauged using their chronological age and development.
According to the new guidelines, in readiness for transition to Primary school, a child should have the following skills: Language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, physical, creative art, social-emotional and general knowledge, life skills, music and movement, spiritual and moral, and approaches to learning.
Speaking during the launch of the assessment tool, Mr Kipsang said the government would not compromise on the quality of education in schools, hence the implementation of the Basic Education Regulation, 2015, to protect learners.
“This is tantamount to child abuse and defrauding parents of their money besides the negative impact the practice has on children,” said Kipsang, on behalf of Education CS Fred Matiang'i.
The PS further stated that the assessment would help both pre-primary and primary school teachers, to know how ready their pupils are for their next step.
