Students found with mobile phones during this year’s national examinations will be barred from sitting the tests, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has said.
Ms Mohamed on Monday said any form of cheating will not be entertained and that those found culpable will be punished.
“Parents whose children will be found with mobile phones in school will be held personally responsible for the actions. Their children will immediately be suspended from school and such candidates will not be allowed to sit the examinations,” she said.
The CS was speaking at the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology after holding an education stakeholders’ meeting.
The participants were drawn from the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec), Kenya National Parents Association and Kenya Private Schools Association.
They had met to discuss measures put in place to ensure credible national examinations.
“Only centre managers will be allowed to possess mobile phones during the duration of the examinations,” Ms Mohamed said.
The CS also asked all parents to desist from visiting students in boarding schools this term.
She ordered the Kenya National Parents Association to work with boards of management to ensure parents do not visit schools and that students do not keep mobile phones.
The parent’s association is also to stop parents from collecting money under with the intention to facilitate cheating in the examinations.
The CS also asked private school managers to ensure that all teachers who will participate in the examinations as science teachers to aid in practical subjects are fully registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Teachers supervising the exams in public schools are also required to be registered with the TSC.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam is set to begin on October 30 while the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam is set to start on November 2 and end on November 28.
Ms Mohamed said the Ministry of Education has finalised all plans to deliver the examination to this year’s 1,060,759 KCPE candidates and 664,586 KCSE candidates.
“Over the next two weeks, the ministry will work round the clock to ensure that all examination materials are delivered to the 459 containers across the country in readiness for the start of the examinations,” she said.
Last week, the CS met regional education coordinators, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association and the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association officials in all the regions over the exams preparations.
The CS warned schools, parents and teachers collecting money to compromise the administration and management of examinations.
So far, the ministry has placed 30 centres under intensive surveillance.
“Those found culpable will be apprehended, charged and de-registered,” she said.
Ms Mohamed further said that anyone found attempting to cheat, collude or compromise the examination process will be arrested on the spot and prosecuted.
Amina warns students against having phones national exams: Amina says any form of exam cheating will not be entertained and those found culpable will be punished. https://t.co/ZaPBjj7p0q
— Breaking News (@News_Kenya) October 8, 2018