NAIROBI,Kenya, Mar, 28 – Professor George Albert Omore Magoha is man on a mission, a mission as he simply puts it, is to diligently implement the various government policies within the education sector, be it, the 100 per cent transition to secondary school, the implementation of the competency based curriculum or even inculcating a culture of ‘no cheating’ in the country’s national examinations.
His no-nonsense approach to leadership has seen him gain both friends and foe alike – For Magoha however, serving the interests of the public is all that matters.
At Mtihani house Monday,the headquarters of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) while announcing the results of the 2021 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations magoha reiterated his achievements as Education cabinet secretary since taking over from Amb. Amina Mohammed back in 2019.
Prior to his appointment as Education CS he had served as KNEC chairperson from 2016.
This being the last examination results announcement ceremony he will preside over as cabinet secretary under the Jubilee government Magoha wished his successor luck saying that the burden will lie on them to ensure that the policies in place within the sector are properly implemented.
“I am proud of my record and the person who will come after me will find a comfortable place to continue from,” said the CS who further saids that,”I am therefore proud and thankful to the Lord, and His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta to have allowed me to serve the country for the last six years, three of which as Cabinet Secretary for Education and the other three as Chairman of the Kenya National Examinations Council. I cannot take for granted this opportunity to serve and I look forward to putting icing on the cake over the next few months,”
He however cautioned his successor that much is yet to be accomplished and that the education ministry is not a ‘walk in the park’.
“That is not to say that Jogoo house (education ministry headquarters) is a place that is easy to work in, it is a place which does not requires people who do not have a hardened heart and the personality to fight corruption,”
Milestones – Safeguarding Examination’s Integrity
While announcing the exam results where the top student, Magata Bruce Mackenzie from Gilgil Hills Academy scored 428 marks out of a possible 500 marks Magoha said that the exams did not leak citing only cases of ‘early exposure’.
The CS hailed the multiagency approach used to secure the exams as one that laid the blueprint for the country in the administration of examinations while hailing is predecessor, Dr, Fred Matiang’i, ICT CS Joe Mucheru and the late interior CS Joseph Ole Nkaisserry.
For the last six years, the approach has witnessed a decrease in examination malpractices cases with those found culpable being prosecuted in court.
For instance during the KCPE 2021 exams, the CS said that only 320 candidates across seven examination centers ‘colluded’ during the examination exercise reiterating the exams did not leak.
“I want to warn If you choose to put your career on the line we will punish the children and will punish the teachers,just wait and see,” he said.
100 Per cent Transition To secondary School
A total of 1,214,031 candidates who sat the examination in 28,313 centres across the country will receive their results today and will thus be legible for admission to secondary schools.
“Of these candidates, 610,384 (50.28 per cent) were boys and 603,647 (49.72 per cent) girls.In the 2020 KCPE, 1,179,192 candidates sat the examination. The candidature increased by 34,839 (2.95 per cent) in 2021 when compared to 2020. Male and female candidates increased by 19,934 (3.27 per cent and 14,905 (2.47 per cent) respectively,” said Magoha.
Even candidates that were found to have been engaged in exam irregularities are guaranteed a position in secondary school with Magoha saying only the subjects where malpractice was cited, will see candidates awarded a mark of zero.
Thereafter, candidates will be placed in the ‘appropriate’ school.
The placement exercise is expected to be conducted within the next two weeks.
Implementation Of The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC)
“As a Government, we have done everything possible to midwife the transition from the 8-4-4 to the CBC,” said Magoha who insists that the CBC is best suited to cater to the needs of the 21st century learning am indict the changing global dynamics.
At the end of the year, the KNEC will be administering the inaugural grade six assessment that will see learners transition to grade seven which is junior secondary school.
Schools have meanwhile received learning materials for grade six.
Already in line with government policies, 6,497 classrooms have been constructed nationwide to accommodate learners who will join junior secondary under the CBC at a cost of Sh5.123 billion.
The second phase of construction of 3,503 classrooms is expected to be launched after the conclusion of the KCSE exams.
“We hope to complete the construction of all the 10,000 classrooms, as directed by H.E. the President, by the time I leave office. All these preparations make me extremely comfortable that my successor will find a good script to follow in the CBC implementation,” said Magoha who further obsessed that, “Each of these classroom have costed only Sh788,00…we must start asking ourselves where has the Sh426,000 been going to..we must give to caesar what belongs to caesar,”
CBC Learning Structure
The 2-6-3-3-3 is tailored around seven core competencies which learners must have in one form or another have attained by the end of their learning.
They include: Communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, imagination and creativity, citizenship, digital literacy,learning to learn and self-efficacy.
It further recommends that learners should join institutions of learning at the early stages in pre-primary 1 at the age of four before proceeding to Pre-primary 2.
Learner will then proceed to primary school which has been graded and divided into lower and upper primary.
Lower primary will commence at grade 1, 2 and 3 while upper primary will begin in grade 4,5 and 6.
At this point in time, the CBC has been rolled out to grade 5. Learners will join grade 6 next year (2022) before joining secondary school.
It is worth noting that before proceeding to secondary school, learners will undertake a summative assessment at grade 6 that will be worth 40 marks. This will be combined with the initial 20 marks awarded in the formative assessment in grade 4,5 and even 6 totaling to 100 marks.
A criteria for transition from primary to secondary school is currently being developed.
Secondary School will be divided into junior and senior secondary school.
Junior Secondary School will consist of grade 7,8, and 9 while Senior Secondary School will consist of grade 10,11 and 12 which will be rolled out in 2028 completely phasing out the old education system.
Learners will undertake a national assessment at the end of grade 9 which will determine their placement in senior secondary school, in turn following their preferred career pathways.
Learners will make choices from a range of disciplines organized in three pathways and nine tracks based on their abilities, interests and career choices.
The pathways include: Science,Technology,Engineering and Mathematics(STEM), Social Sciences and Sports Science and Arts sciences. Each pathway has various subjects under it.
To fully master one’s skills/specialize, learners will then finally proceed to tertiary institutions (TVET, Colleges or Universities) for a couple of years depending with one’s course before joining the job market.
Stakeholders have meanwhile called for a re-organization of structures and programmes in universities to ensure they adequately cater to learners pursuing STEM courses as well sports and the performing arts in line with CBC guidelines.
The Elimu Scholarship
In the last four years, under the elimu scholarship programme, at least 18,000 under-privileged learners are said to have benefited immeslely with their secondary school education being fully funded.
Additionally,Magoha has revealed hat upon deliberations with president Uhuru Kenyatta, an additional 9,000 learners will be catered for this year.
Tis is part of government efforts to ensure every child has a right to education while they strive to improve their lives and those of their families.
With the return to normalcy of the academic calendar set to resume the traditional January to November in 2022 and the administration of three major exams at the end of this year, Magoha has now challenged his successor to be ready now more than ever to ensure the gains of the last six years are not reversed.
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