KNEC Examiners to undergo NIS screening
KNEC Examiners to undergo NIS screening
Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) is the focus of a number of reforms put out by Nicholas Letting, CEO of the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB), to improve the integrity of the examination process.
These actions are intended to lessen cheating on national exams. Letting suggests, among other things, that examiners be subjected to National Intelligence Service (NIS) officers’ scrutiny before being hired. This clandestine participation of NIS officials is meant to spot exam anomalies and cheating, assuring a high level of integrity in the exam marking process.
To reduce exam leaks using mobile phones, Letting also recommends blocking mobile networks in places where cheating is common. Letting also recommends benchmarking with competent exam boards like KASNEB and HRMPEB to improve efficient test management.
The blacklisting of pupils who imitate others is another one of Letting’s suggestions for discouraging such dishonest behavior in the future. He emphasizes the importance of embracing examination automation, especially with computer-based exams that would enable real-time marking.
Following concerns regarding irregularities in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, MP Julius Melly, Chairman of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education, delivered this report. These violations included, among other things, conspiracy, the use of mobile phones, impersonation, the smuggling of illegal materials, leaking, and plagiarism.
The committee advises a review of the current legal system to address new offenses connected to information communication and technology and social media platforms and to impose harsher punishments for such offenses.
The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) is urged to take into account other criteria, including as discipline, infrastructure development, co-curricular activities, and teachers’ personal development, as part of the promotion requirements for instructors, beginning with the 2024–2025 test cycle.
The committee also demands that KNEC receive more money during the years 2024–2025 and beyond. This funding is meant to help with important tasks including paying examiners fairly and on time, transporting employees and exam materials, and providing comfortable accommodations for examiners at marking sites.
These financial resources will also help the test procedure become more digital, guaranteeing adherence to national examination administering criteria and improving exam management effectiveness.
