CS Magoha rules out national exams as 1.3 million Grade 3 pupils start the test on Monday.

Education CS George Magoha has ruled out the possibility of national exams for Grade three learners who are poised to sit for their national assessment tests starting next Monday.

While speaking at Joy Town Special School in Thika when he conducted a pre-monitoring of the national exams and classroom observation of delivery of CBC yesterday, Magoha said that the assessment of Grade 3 learners will be carried out until the end of this term despite claims it will only take a week.

“I don’t know whose creation it is that the assessment will start on Monday and end on Friday,” he said.

He added that the assessment was only meant to establish whether the learners had exceeded, met or failed to meet the expectations to enable teachers identify areas to focus on for the benefit of the children.

“The teachers want to know what the learners have picked after the three years so that they can go to the next level,” he said.

To minimise on its costs, the CS said the tests could be written on the blackboard.

Fake examination papers.

He warned those planning to distribute fake KCPE and KCSE examination papers in the country saying that the ministry is vigilant and had already mapped out the epi-centre where the cartels were operating from.

“There are active examination cartels in Rongo, Kuria and Homabay regions as well as Kisii trying to trick parents into parting with their money purporting to assist in the exams. I urge students and parents to desist from being lured into buying fake examination papers as they will only be wasting their resources,” he said.

The CS said that the Ministry in collaboration with the National examination body has laid down proper strategies to tighten security during this year’s National examinations.