Principal Secretary for Education Belio Kipsang has addressed the high number of school girls sitting the national examination while pregnant or after delivery.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Kipsang said that a large number of girls are doing their examinations in hospitals adding that on the first day, 27 of them delivered.
The PS further promised to look into the issue of teenage pregnancies.
“There are quite a number of our girls who are doing their examinations in hospitals. I think on the first day we had 27 of them which is a large number and we are trying to see across the country how to ensure the issues are addressed,” he said.
Comparing last year’s cases, Kipsang said that this year the number of girls doing exams while pregnant or after delivery is slightly higher.
He urged parents and teachers to properly guide the young generation so that they can be able to get an opportunity to learn without any disruption to their lives.
“We would like to urge our parents to be closer to their children so that they could be able to support them in terms of ensuring they get an opportunity to learn without any disruption of their lives. We also want to urge our teachers, the guidance and counselling team to be able to socialize better in ways in which they can avoid these circumstances and situations they find themselves in,” Kipsang said.
However, the PS noted that not all students currently doing their exams in hospitals are a result of teen pregnancy.
“There could be a few cases that may not be necessary out of teen pregnancy because there could be a few of them who might have been admitted for their reasons,” he added.
This year’s examination administration also marks a shift in protocol, with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) stating that they will no longer print extra question papers, a change aimed at closing loopholes that have previously been exploited for examination malpractice, such as impersonation.
After the national briefing, KNEC went to every sub-county, and centre managers and supervisors were briefed, especially on the innovations.
This new strategy includes tearing off the section of the exam paper that contains candidates’ details at the end of each exam and packing it separately to prevent identification during grading.
With these measures in place, the authorities hope to foster a fair and secure environment for all students taking the KCSE exams.
