Four KCSE invigilators arrested in Migori yesterday for exam leakage have been arraigned in Rongo law courts Wednesday morning.
According to the charge sheet, one of the teachers who was supervising examination at a hospital where one student was doing the exams was found transporting the student’s papers alone.
The four who include the Rongo Centre manager, Supervisor and two invigilators have been remanded for ten days and their case will be heard on 9th April.
Early Learning and Basic Education PS Dr Julius Jwan said they are closely monitoring some schools in Nyanza region urging all schools principals to be keen with their deputies.
Following their arrest yesterday, Education CS George Magoha said the long arm of the Government’s security system will catch up with unscrupulous people who think they can breach the watertight security measures.
“We wish to inform the country that we unearthed a case of an early exposure of some papers during this examination. Under this circumstances, unprofessional examination officials manage to expose the examinations a little earlier than the scheduled time once the papers leave safely from the examinations container. The questions are then shared to the targeted candidates just before the examinations start,” Magoha said.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/4-kcse-invigilators-arrested-for-exam-leakage-arraigned-in-court/
ICT, Innovation and youth affairs Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has hinted that phase two of the government’s Digital Literacy Programe (DLP) will be rolled out soon after solving budgetary delays with the Treasury.
The programme which was started by the government in 2013 aims at ensuring pupils in grade one to three are able to use digital technology and communication tools in learning with an overarching objective of transforming learning in Kenya into a 21st Century education system.
“We are in the final stages to roll out phase two, there is an intersectional consultation and once the pending issues that mostly are budget issues we it will be unveiled,” Mucheru said.
“We have finished the first phase. In the second phase we have the Competence Based Curriculum so we are now restructuring the programe to fit in in the new versus the previous one,” said Mucheru.
Mucheru however has said an inter-ministerial team is in the process of making final touches ahead of the official roll out that seeks to ensure learners ensure digital learning services.
The CS clarified that the DLP programme is implemented in phases and that construction of computer laboratories are one of the deliverables in phase two of the programme.
“There is budget involvements, so I believe once we are finished with treasury and education then I believe we will be able to roll out, as you know Moi university and Jomo Kenyatta University have already put up infrastructure and assembly of the programe but it was delayed by the covid-19 challenges,”Mucheru added.
The computer labs are meant to enable learners from the upper grades of class four to eight access computers for learning to ensure that there is inclusivity for all the learners.
About 21,630 primary schools countrywide have been equipped with the requisite infrastructure in phase one of the programe.
At the same time the senate standing committee on information and technology chairman Gideon Moi called for the fast tracking of implementation of pending technology programs to accelerate digital transformation.
Gideon Moi
“There’s need to scrutinize stalled projects especially in the Counties such as the County connectivity and the fibre optic backbone infrastructure, among others. This will facilitate a smoother transition to the new normal,” said Moi
This happens as a big portion of the Kenyan population now working from home and with students out of school at one point in 2020, the Internet has become a classroom, and a workplace where meeting space and business platforms are undertaken.
“The post-COVID-19 era has brought forward a new normal – one that will accelerate digital transformation in many areas. These include digital economy, digital finance, digital government, digital health, and digital education. Indeed, many Government organizations and businesses have already turned to digital platforms and digital solutions,” Said Moi.
He added “COVID-19 pandemic has exposed harsh fragilities and digital divides that have been allowed to develop for far too long. We are therefore, here too to find answers by taking into account the lessons learned and good practices gained during the COVID period,”.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/phase-two-of-digital-literacy-programe-to-be-rolled-out-soon/
It’s all systems go for the nationwide Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations next week.
The countrywide school exams were cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has disrupted the whole academic year.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education Professor George Magoha noted that the national exams will be held with strict adherence to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) protocols approved by the Ministry of Health.
Speaking in Mombasa Prof. Magoha announced that special arrangements are in place to ensure the safety and security of candidates, supervisors, invigilators and security personnel during the examinations scheduled to kick off on Monday next week.
Prof. Magoha allayed fears during the school exams saying the government is going ahead with the examinations amid the Covid-19 pandemic as it has put watertight Covid-19 special arrangements in place.
“The national exams will be held with strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines” he said.
The CS cautioned the candidates to avoid exam malpractices which can destroy their bright future.
He said that cheating in the examinations was an unhealthy trend that candidates should shun and strive to excel by ‘doing genuine work’.
Prof. Magoha said cases of examination cheating, leakages and impersonations and other forms of irregularities would not be entertained and urged candidates not to look for ‘shortcuts in their academic endeavor’.
The CS cautioned the candidates to avoid exam malpractices which can destroy their bright future.
“Migori and Kisii counties are the headquarters of exam cheating and I can assure you that we have put the two regions on our radar” he said accompanied by his Chief Administrative Secretary Hassan Noor Hassan and Principal Secretary in charge of Vocational and Technical Training Dr. Margret Mwakima.
He said the ministry of education has received intelligence reports that unscrupulous candidates were planning to write on their facemasks and directed that all facemasks will be subjected to thorough security before one accesses the examination halls.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/national-exams-to-be-held-with-strict-adherence-to-covid-19-protocol/
Africa/Kenya/12-03-2021/Autor(a) y Fuente: www.kbc.co.ke
According to the University student leadership, the loan has been delayed for three months now, a situation that has left most of the students helpless.
The angry students protested along Uganda Road in Eldoret town calling upon the HELB management to respond to the issue urgently warning that they will be forced to paralyze all activities in Eldoret town by Monday if they will not have received the loans.
“HELB is the only salary for the comrades, the delays cause a burden to us,” said the Chairman, Moi University School of Law Annex Chair, Budi Gini.
The students who were waving placards said the loan was supposed to have been disbursed the first or second week after the university opened.
«We have teamed up with the main campus, town campus, and the school of law, Annex to air our grievances,” said Kasina Manasseh, the Moi University Economic Students’ Association Assistant Secretary-General.
“The Dean of Students told us that he had contacted the HELB management and forwarded the names of the students on session, but when we contacted HELB, they claim the HELB loans have been disbursed partially, but nothing is reflecting in our bank accounts, who is tricking who?” posed Kasina.
Kasina claimed other universities such as the University of Nairobi, Kenya Methodist University, Maseno University among others have already received their money.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/moi-university-students-demonstrate-over-delayed-disbursement-of-helb-loans/
More than 168 million schoolchildren globally missed out on learning in class, as schools in some 14 countries remained largely shut for almost an entire year due to coronavirus-related lockdowns, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Wednesday.
“As we approach the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again reminded of the catastrophic education emergency worldwide lockdowns have created”, Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, said in a news release, announcing the agency’s findings.
“With every day that goes by, children unable to access in-person schooling fall further and further behind, with the most marginalized paying the heaviest price”, she added.
According to UNICEF, nine of the 14 countries, where schools remained mostly closed between March 2020 to February 2021, are in the Latin American and Caribbean region, affecting nearly 100 million students. Of these countries, Panama kept schools closed for the most days, followed by El Salvador, Bangladesh, and Bolivia.
In addition, around 214 million children – one in seven pupils globally – missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning, while over 888 million continue to face disruptions to their education due to full and partial school closures, according to UN data.
Prioritize schools in reopening plans
School closures have devastating consequences for children’s learning and wellbeing. The most vulnerable children and those unable to access remote learning are hit even harder, as they are at an increased risk of never returning to the classroom, sometimes forced into child labour and even child marriage, according to UNICEF.
Schoolchildren globally also rely on their schools as a place to interact with peers, seek support, access health and immunization services and a nutritious meal. The longer schools remain closed, the longer children are cut off from these critical elements of childhood, the agency added.
Executive Director Fore called on all nations to keep schools open, or prioritize them in reopening plans where they are closed.
“We cannot afford to move into year two of limited or even no in-school learning for these children. No effort should be spared to keep schools open, or prioritize them in reopening plans”, she highlighted.
UNICEF also urged governments to focus on the unique needs of every student, with comprehensive services covering remedial learning, health and nutrition, and mental health and protection measures in schools to nurture children and adolescents’ development and wellbeing.
‘Pandemic Classroom’
Also on Wednesday, UNICEF unveiled ‘Pandemic Classroom’, a model classroom made up of 168 empty desks, each desk representing one million of the children living in countries where schools have been almost entirely closed, as a “solemn reminder of the classrooms in every corner of the world that remain empty”, said the agency.
Behind each empty chair hangs an empty backpack – a placeholder for a child’s deferred potential.
After walking through the installation, set up at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the staggering number of children missing out on valuable education “a tragedy”.
“We have millions of children out of school and that is a tragedy. A tragedy for them, a tragedy for their countries, a tragedy for the future of humankind”, he said.
Source and Image: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086232
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has embarked on a sensitization programe for university students to curb rising political temperatures.
NCIC in partnership with Kenya film classification board KFCB sensitized university students on National values and peace to enhance good values and governance among the youth at the grassroots.
Speaking in Mombasa during a training on countering electoral Violence and political intolerance, NCIC Deputy Director of communication Olive Metet urged university leaders to promote peace in the country.
“We are sensitizing them on their role as university student’s leaders to go and preach the gospel of political tolerance to their comrades now that the youth are being used by politicians to cause chaos.” She said.
About 70 students from 24 universities were taken through the sensitization workshop held at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa.
Jennifer Mukami Mbogo, Multimedia University students union president lauded the move terming it as an eye opener for university students.
“We are calling on positive use of social media during this political season instead of using it as a tool to propagate hatred. As youths we should be mature enough to ensure peace prevails and that the youth are not victims of political chaos,” Mukami said.
KFCB Executive Director Ezekiel Mutua said it is important to involve the youth in peace building for sustainable moral values in the society.
Mutua now wants University student leaders to be involved in national policy formulations saying they should be part of nation development.
“University student leaders play a critical role in shaping the society, student leaders should be involved in key policy formulations so that they can shape the future of youth leadership,” Mutua said.
University students leaders present were from Kenyatta University, Multimedia University, Moi University, Technical university of Mombasa, Nairobi University among other public and private universities in the country.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/ncic-kfcb-sensitize-university-students-on-political-intolerance/
Africa/Kenya/19-02-2021/Author and Source: www.kbc.co.ke
A form three student who pleaded guilty to assaulting his teacher has been handed 18 months non-custodial sentence, as the court ordered his transfer to another school.
Samuel Muigai Migwi was sentenced to 18 months’ probation by Nyahururu Senior Resident Magistrate, James Wanyanga who said the court took the decision after considering the circumstance of the case.
The particulars of the case were that on January 18, 2021 at Murichu Secondary School, Muigai rained kicks and blows to the teacher on duty James Gikonyo, who he accused of embarrassing him for jumping a meal queue, causing injuries.
He was also charged for causing disturbance at the school and damaging public property namely, projector’s stand belonging to the school.
In his mitigation, Muigai pleaded with the court to pardon him and promised to be a law-abiding citizen. He also promised to apologise to his teacher and work on his anger issues.
“I promise to work hard in school and avoid involving myself in mischievous ways. For the three weeks I have been in prison, I have learnt my lesson the hard way,” he said.
While considering a Presentence Report, SRM Wanyanga, handed him 18 months probation for the first two accounts and dismissed the third account.
“I cannot order you to go back to the same school as you could be mistreated by teachers and students, for creating a bad name for the school. I am therefore of the opinion that the parents get him another school.
“If you misbehave in the other school, we will not only revive this matter but also prosecute you for the other offense,” Wanyanga warned him.
Muigai is expected in court on December 16, 2021, when a progress report on his behaviour will be presented.
Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/form-three-student-arrested-in-nyandarua-for-assaulting-teacher-sentenced/
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