Education Newsbyte.
Collated Education News Highlights
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###100 schools on high alert over exam cheating fears
Over 100 schools in 14 counties within the Rift Valley region have been put on red alert over possible exam cheating as learners prepare to sit for the national examinations.
Learners will sit for the Grade Six Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations within the next one month.
Speaking during a regional security and intelligence committee meeting, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC) Maalim Mohamed said they have received intelligence over the schools.
“We know the notorious schools and although we will not condemn them now, they are on our radar during this examination period,” said Maalim.
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##Shock As Two Class Eight Candidates Drown In Theta Dam, Kiambu County
A search operation is underway after two class eight candidates drowned in Theta Dam in Kiambu County during a school trip.
The pupils from Comejuu Premier Academy Primary School in Komothai, Githunguri, were on an excursion after their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination rehearsals on Friday.
Headteacher David Paul Kang’ethe said sixty pupils, drawn from class eight and grade six went for an excursion to Kinare forest.
The two boys, aged 14, were to write their national exams starting Monday 28th November 2022.
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###No charges during exams, heads warned
Headteachers have been warned against demanding any money from candidates who are scheduled to begin national exams on Monday.
Education ministry’s director general Paul Kibet said some school heads have been reported to be asking parents to pay money for facilitation and lunch during the examinations, contrary to government directives.
“This goes against ministry guidelines issued earlier on illegal levies.
Provision of lunch for candidates shouldn’t be forced on parents. All field officers are instructed to stop this and report such cases to this office immediately. Action will be taken against any officer in whose jurisdiction such cases are reported,” said Mr Kibet in a circular to county directors of education dated November 24, 2022.
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###Mandatory NHIF contributions!
Contributions to the health fund should be mandatory for every Kenyan aged 18 and above, a parliamentary committee has been told.
National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer Peter Kamunyo told the parliamentary committee on health that voluntary contributors to the fund stand at 15 per cent.
“Most Kenyans contribute to the insurance fund when they are sick,” said Kamunyo.
The MPs however said making the contributions mandatory would need a regulation that would be subjected to public participation before it is approved by Parliament.
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###Education Ministry Asked to Cancel Grade 6 Exams
Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV, the Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, Emmanuel Manyasa stated that he had submitted to the task force that KPSEA was not a vital component in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“I have submitted to the task force that in my view we should not have KPSEA for grade 6 because it is supposed to contribute 40 percent of their total score the other 60 percent is fictitious,” he stated.
“Exam is one of the most wasteful things we do in Kenya, I will not be surprised to see the CSs walking around supervising exams and we have never been told how much is spent on them, to invigilate exams,” he added.
Manyasa also questioned the credibility of the marks recorded online by teachers- as he claimed that a section of tutors keyed in false marks in a bid to meet the deadlines.
“Teachers did not take the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) seriously they didn’t believe it is going to be there. They thought it would be abolished. The marks they entered for grades three, four and five which should account for 60 percent is fictitious hence KPSEA with 40 percent has no value,” he noted.
Offering an alternative, the Usawa Agenda director opined that Grade 6 students ought to either remain at primary level or transition to sub-county secondary schools.
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###Knut push to have ECDE teachers employed by TSC picks momentum
The push by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) to have Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers employed by the national government is gaining momentum.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should take charge of employing trained ECDE teachers countrywide and post them to schools, said Knut National Executive Committee members Malel Langat and Richard Lentayaa.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok has backed the demand, saying counties were willing to offload ECDE teachers to the TSC for employment under permanent and pensionable terms.
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###‘Keep children out of courts’- Magistrate tells law enforcement agencies
Thika Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo has called on law enforcement agencies and other players to explore avenues of dealing with children whenever there is a conflict with the law rather than take them to court.
Rooting for the minimization of cases involving juveniles, the magistrate noted that the Children’s Act 2022 is more about rehabilitation and communities taking care of children instead of resorting to punitive measures.
“We have too many cases of minors being hounded to court for small offences. This should not be the case and the courts or remand should be the last option,” Atambo said.
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####Police officer arrested after missing Form Four girl is found in his house
A police officer is being held at Kapenguria police station over alleged defilement of a 17-year-old schoolgirl.
West Pokot sub-county Officer Commanding Police Division Kipkemboi Kirui said the officer identified as Corporal James Njuguna was arrested after they got a tip that the officer had locked a school girl inside his house at Keringet Police Station.
Kirui said the girl’s father who hails from Keringet Trading Centre, reported that his daughter, who is a Form Four candidate went missing on Monday and he had a hint that she was residing with the suspected police officer.
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###MCAs reject proposal to close bars next to learning institutions
Members of the County Assembly have unanimously rejected a proposal to close and relocate alcoholic joints next to learning institutions.
The Motion tabled by Nominated MCA Nasra Nanda proposed that joints that sit about 300 metres from the institutions of learning be closed and relocated.
The member further told the house that for such businesses to be licensed the Sub-County Committee through the Liquor Licensing Board must be satisfied that they meet the requirements.
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