Schools Oppose Merging of KPSEA Examination Centres.
In Migori County, a number of schools have voiced their opposition to the government’s proposal to merge examination centres for schools with fewer than 30 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) candidates.
Spearheaded by headteachers and school directors, the schools have raised concerns that the merging plan imposes undue hardships on students who would need to travel long distances to unfamiliar centres, potentially affecting their performance.
School representatives argue that the selected centres are often far away, creating logistical difficulties that could result in additional financial strain for both parents and the schools themselves.
Ruphine Oloo, headteacher of Rose Hill School, which has 22 candidates for the upcoming KPSEA exams, indicated that the distance to the merged centre is significant, requiring both the school and parents to incur extra costs for transportation and related expenses.
Disruption of Familiar Learning Environments
Headteachers and directors have expressed worry over the impact that a sudden change of environment may have on learners. They are concerned that adjusting to new examination centres may be challenging, potentially leading to poor performance.
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Rose Misori, director of another school, noted that students are accustomed to their usual examination settings, and transferring them to a new location during the rainy season further complicates matters.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) recently mandated that primary and secondary schools with fewer than 30 candidates would no longer be eligible as independent examination centres.
Martin Awino, director at Matoso Comprehensive School in Muhuru, Nyatike Sub-County, remarked that remote schools, in particular, would face greater challenges due to their distance from other schools, forcing learners to trek considerable distances to sit for exams.
Equity Issues Between Private and Public School Learners
School officials also called upon the government to treat all students equally, regardless of whether they attend private or public institutions.
Chilla Maxwell, headteacher at Goldfields School, urged that students from both sectors should receive equal consideration and access to government resources.
He raised concerns that private school students sometimes feel discriminated against, especially in terms of capitation and textbook distribution.
Beyond the examination centre merger issue, school representatives have drawn attention to ongoing challenges in meeting resource needs.
ALSO READ: 2024 KPSEA Exam Timetable and Guidelines Released by KNEC.
According to teacher Henry Okeyo from Othora Comprehensive School in Nyatike Sub-County, the shortage of digital learning devices has been a persistent issue.
He emphasized that as student numbers increase, schools often struggle to keep up with learning resources and maintain the pace needed for the KPSEA syllabus.
Schools Oppose Merging of KPSEA Examination Centres.
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