As the ministry modifies the closing date, schools will close early.
The third term for primary and secondary schools, which began on August 26th, 2024, has experienced some disruptions due to a teachers’ strike. According to the 2024 school calendar released by Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, schools will operate for nine weeks in the third term. This leaves six weeks before the schools close for the long ten-week holiday.
However, following new guidelines by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) regarding the administration of national exams, the Ministry of Education has made slight changes to the schools’ closing dates. Schools will now close earlier, on 24th October 2024, to accommodate the rehearsals for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Intermediate Learner Education Assessment (KILEA).
In preparation for this year’s national exams, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), KNEC, and the Ministry of Education have issued several new guidelines to ensure smooth operations and secure examinations. These measures include restrictions on school visits, prayers, and meetings during the third term. The Ministry aims to prevent any distractions or disruptions as students prepare for their national exams.
KNEC’s New Guidelines for 2024 National Exams
- Customized Exam Papers: Each exam paper will be personalized with the candidate’s name, index number, and school pre-printed. This move marks a shift from previous years when candidates had to write these details manually. To maintain anonymity during marking, the section containing the candidates’ details will be torn off and packed separately.
- Personal Liability for Cheating: Candidates caught cheating will be held personally accountable. This means that exam malpractice will no longer result in penalties for entire schools or examination centers.
- No Extra Exam Papers: This year, KNEC has announced that no additional exam papers will be printed.
TSC’s Deployment Guidelines for Exam Invigilators and Supervisors
TSC has outlined specific rules for the deployment of supervisors and invigilators for the 2024 national exams:
- Secondary School Teachers Only: Supervisors and invigilators for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) must be secondary school teachers.
- Weekly Supervisor Rotation: KCSE supervisors will be rotated weekly, and outgoing supervisors must prepare handover notes for incoming ones.
- Qualified and Registered Teachers: Only teachers who are qualified, employed, and registered with the TSC will be deployed. The teachers selected must be of high integrity.
- Avoid Conflicts of Interest: Supervisors, invigilators, and center managers should not be deployed to centers where they have vested interests, and they must declare any such interest.
- Verification and Attendance: Center managers will verify the details and workstations of supervisors and invigilators, ensuring daily attendance is taken.
- Stage-Based Pathway Invigilators: Teachers of learners following the Stage-Based Pathway will invigilate their own learners, with one invigilator for every ten learners.
Exam Dates and Schedule
The Ministry has also provided the following schedule for the upcoming national exams and assessments:
- KCSE Exam: Rehearsal on 18th October 2024; exams begin on 22nd October 2024 and end on 22nd November 2024.
- KPSEA Exam: Rehearsal on 25th October 2024; exams begin on 28th October 2024 and end on 30th October 2024.
- KILEA Exam: Rehearsal on 25th October 2024; exams begin on 28th October 2024 and end on 31st October 2024.
These changes reflect efforts by the Ministry of Education and related bodies to ensure the effective and secure administration of exams this year.
