Matiang’i bars parents from school prayer days to curb exam cheating

Parents have been barred from attending school functions, including prayer days during the third term to reduce cases of passing over mobile phones to students who use them to cheat in exams.

Fresh directives announced by Education secretary Fred Matiang’i Wednesday will also see the period for national examinations shortened to four weeks while students will not go home for the traditional half-term break.

The restrictions come in the wake of widespread cheating reported during last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) examinations with leaked material being circulated through social media platforms.

“The aim (of the new rules) is to avoid unnecessary contact between candidates and outsiders during the exam period,” Dr Matiang’i said.

“In last year’s national examination, 30 mobile phones were seized from KCSE candidates after they were delivered to them during prayer sessions by their parents and guardians with the purpose of aiding them in cheating.”

The measures mainly target boarding school students, leaving their day school colleagues with access to the gadgets.

Dr Matiang’i further announced a reorganisation of the school calendar in what will see Form Four and Standard Eight exams take place when the rest of the learners close school.

This means that third term for all schools will commence on August 29 and end on October 28 for Standard One to Seven and Form One to Three learners.

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education will then commence on November 1 and end November 3 with KCSE starting on November 7 and ending November 30.

“To accommodate the changes, term two which was initially scheduled to end on August 5 will extend to August 12,” said the Education secretary.

Besides the prayer days ban during the third term, other social functions that are banned are prize giving days, annual general meetings and thanksgiving days, all of which will be done in the second term.

And to rein in on school heads who have been aiding students to cheat in national examination, the Kenya National Examination Council will appoint school principals and head teachers to be in charge of their examination centres with the assistance of carefully selected supervisors.

“Together with board of management (BOM) of their schools, these officials will take full responsibility and accountability for any examination malpractice that may be reported in their centres.