Kenia: KCPE candidates get wrong results as Knec vows to tackle issue

Kenia / 29 de noviembre de 2017 / Fuente: http://www.nation.co.ke/

When this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results were released on Tuesday, Maina Lewis Mwangi of index number 20409008066 was optimistic of getting good results.

Master Mwangi, who sat his examination at Wangu Primary School, Dandora, in Nairobi, sent a text to 22252 in order to get the results as had been advised by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i during the morning session.

With assurance by the ministry that the examinations were accurate, Master Mwangi got a text message that indicated that he had scored ENG 68B, KIS 56C+, KSL==, MAT 43C-, SCI 29D-, SSR 70B+ Total 266 marks out of 500.

EXAM RESULTS
He was not satisfied. He sent another text, which indicated that he had scored ENG 68B, KIS 56C+, KSL==, MAT 43C- , SCI 61B-, SSR 70B+ Total 298.

The scores were different in terms of the Science subject as in the first text he scored 29D while in the second it was 61B.

The candidate is now among 345 candidates whose erroneous results the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) says it is handling.

On Thursday, a total of 535 candidates at Olympic Primary School in Nairobi finally received their correct exam results after two days of anxiety.

REMARKING

In the previous results, the best candidate had 384 marks but, after the correction, the top candidate had 427 marks with 13 candidates getting more than 400 marks.

The mother of Master Maina, Ms Elimina Mwikali, told the Sunday Nation that she had raised the issue with the school and was told that many parents had complained about the same issue.

According to her, manual remarking of the examination will rectify these errors, which she said were introduced by the computer during the marking process.

“They should not be in a hurry to release exam results,” she said.

COMPLAINTS
In Siaya, errors in KCPE results for many schools in Gem sub-county are yet to be corrected.

Siaya County Director of Education Kituyi Masibo has asked all aggrieved candidates, parents and teachers to remain calm as they wait for the official printout of the results.

Mr Masibo, who spoke to the Sunday Nation, said he received numerous complaints from head teachers from various primary schools in Wagai division, Gem Sub-County, claiming their results were erroneous.

“Let us wait for the official printout of the results expected in the county today,” Mr Masibo said.

FORM ONE SELECTION
The teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the results have killed the spirit of the candidates and the final mean grades of their schools.

They said that the results coincidentally awarded a majority of candidates with a standard mark of 51 per cent in Mathematics and 60 per cent in English.

Some of the affected schools in Wagai division include Malunga, Ober, Uriri, Ujimbe, Oseno, Wagai, Ulamba, Apuoyo, Asai, Aluor Girls, Kaudha, Nyasidhi and Wagwer primary schools.
The teachers called on Knec to rectify the problem before the beginning of Form One selection set to begin next month.

MERIT
They also read mischief in the manner in which Knec resorted to coincidentally awarding candidates the same marks.

“We call upon Knec to immediately look at that matter and ensure that the mistakes are corrected and guarantee the best pupils an opportunity to join their preferred schools,” a teacher said.

However, one teacher has since admitted that the error has been corrected and hopes that the matter will be resolved fully.

Speaking on Tuesday during the release of the examination results at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum of Development, Knec chairman George Magoha said the acquisition of 20 new scanning machines that cost Sh100 million enabled the marking of the examination to be completed in two weeks.

“The new machines are faster, more efficient and accurate when it comes to processing the examinations. The council was able to realise accuracy of up to 99.99 per cent in processing the papers,” he said.

ACCURATE RESULTS
He said that for composition, sign language and braille, the council engaged 5,316 teachers who completed the work within five days.

On Saturday, Prof Magoha could not be reached for comment on the issue.

However on Friday, acting chief executive Mercy Karogo acknowledged that there were concerns but said the council was addressing them.

“We have received complaints and addressed a number of them and will continue to do so,” she said.

In Naivasha, 20 candidates at Mt Longonot School received their correct exam results on Friday, ending the anxiety that characterised the results announcement.

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