TSC fires 27 teachers for aiding in exam cheating

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has interdicted a total of twenty seven teachers who were manning KCSE exams.

The teachers are accused of aiding candidates to cheat in their final exams.

Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, revealed this today saying a total of thirty five civilians too have also been arrested and at least fifty three mobile phones confiscated.

The teachers will appear before a TSC disciplinary panel after responding to the charges in writing within a period of twenty one days.

Those found guilty of the offence may get a warning or dismissed and their names removed from the register of teachers. However they will have ninety days to appeal the verdict by their employer.

Magoha said Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results 2020 will be released by May 10.

Speaking at the Nairobi School today Wednesday morning, when he oversaw the completion of the examinations, the Cabinet Secretary declared the exercise a 99.9 percent success.

He congratulated the 752,891 students who finally sat for their exams after months of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Magoha went ahead to warn a group of cartels who are collecting money from parents promising to award them Form 1 slots in best schools.

“Being poor does not mean I dont have good brains, already there are people collecting money promising them best school, a good example is that guy collecting money (ksh 10,000) promising people Alliance school, let Kinoti note this,” Magoha said.

Last month the Ministry of Education put on notice seven national schools over interference with the upcoming Form 1 selection exercise.

The Ministry of Education through a circular sent to County Director of Education – Nakuru, County Director of Education – Kericho and the Regional Director of Education – Nairobi issued a warning to seven national schools which do not adhere to the laid down guidelines.

According to the Ministry the schools are accused of pre selecting their form one class prior to the National Form one Selection process.

“The purpose of this letter is to ask you to inform the Principals of the listed schools in your jurisdiction to ensure that they only pre-select candidates who have chosen their schools as per the KNEC data base.  The National Selection process will ignore the pre-selection of such candidates and place them in schools of their choice and on merit if this instruction is not adhered to,” said the Ministry through a circular.

The schools targeted in this crack down are;

1.   Starehe Boys Centre – (Nairobi)

2.  Starehe Girls – (Nairobi)

3.  Moi Forces Academy – (Nairobi)

4.   Moi Forces  – Lanet – (Nakuru)

5.  Utumishi Academy – (Nakuru)

6.  Utumishi Girls – (Nakuru)

7.   Moi Tea Girls –  (Kericho)

PS for Early Learning and Basic Education, Dr Julius Jwan, said the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates will join Form One in July 2021 after selection exercise done.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2020 exams ended today and the marking exercise is expected to kick off this week.

Basic Education PS Julius Jwan said marking will be done by teachers contracted by the Kenya National Examination Council. 

The exercise will involve at least 27,284 markers and will be conducted in about 40 national schools distributed in the defunct eight regions.

Traditionally, the marking exercise takes a month, if this is anything to go by, the candidates will expect their results somewhere in mid-May.

Teachers Service Commission said it would organise transport to and out of the marking centres.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia asked teachers taking part in marking of KCSE exams to get vaccinated before travelling to Nairobi for the exercise.

She said teachers should visit the 622 vaccine centres to get vaccinated.

Macharia  announced that at least 154 teachers have died since the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country in March 2020.

“We have lost three deputy head teachers and eight head teachers to the pandemic,” she said.

Macharia said going forward, the commission has come up with measures to protect all teachers from the virus.

“First we instructed our medical health insurance provider to cover all teachers against Covid-related ailments which they have since complied with,” Macharia said.

Macharia said the special pass will allow examiners to travel to locations they will be posted for the exercise.

Macharia congratulated teachers for braving the pandemic to ensure the national exams are a success.

PS Julius Jwan said that arrangements are in place to ensure teachers involved in KCSE marking exercise get to marking centres safely.

KCSE examination markers will be given special passes allowing them in and out of five counties under lockdown during the marking exercise.

President Uhuru Kenyatta directed cessation of movement in five counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado and Nakuru.

The marking of the exam will involve 27,248 examiners.

Knec data shows that 752,933 candidates were registered to sit this year’s KCSE exam in 10,437 centres.

Education CS George Magoha said on Friday that all security measures are in place ahead of the marking process.

The CS also announced that transport arrangements are in place for students travelling in and out of areas where movement is restricted to stem infection of the Covid-19.

President Uhuru last week directed all teachers and support staff, irrespective of their ages, to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Initially, only teachers above 50 were eligible for vaccination.

The directive was made public by CS Magoha during the announcement of the 2020 KCPE exam results, shortly after meeting the President at State House in Nairobi.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers wants the exam agency to raise marking fees for each script by at least Sh50, citing the present harsh economic times.

Kuppet argues that papers like Chemistry Paper 1, Mathematics and English Paper 1 should each be paid at not less than Sh100.

Presently marking each paper attracts between Sh51 to Sh58.