Educationists have welcomed the decision to scrap KCPE and KCSE exams as a means of transition to secondary school and university but warn that the alternatives might not be foolproof.
While they say the move will end the cutthroat competition for prized secondary school and university places, they warn that teachers might play favourites with their students in the staggered assessment plan.
Under the Competence-Based Curriculum, learners will sit Continuous Assessment Tests at the end of Grades 4, 5 and 6 to form the final mark at the end of primary school. Each CAT will carry 20 per cent of the final mark, adding up to 60 per cent of the total.
The remaining 40 per cent will be from an exam administered by the Kenya National Examination Council at the end of Grade 6. The cumulative score the learner will determine the secondary school they will join.
Sceptics say unscrupulous teachers will manipulate CAT results to show their students have performed well.
“What will stop teachers from private schools from manipulating the results of the CATS (Continuous Assessment Tests) which will account for 60 per cent of the assessment?” a critic asked.
Mutheu Kasanga, the Kenya Private Schools Association chief executive, termed such a notion as outrageous, noting private schools are leading by example in the implementation of the CBC.
Kasanga said that the institutions will follow all guidelines and seek to ensure learners are well prepared under the new education system.
"Private schools have always been at the front in the 8-4-4 and now in the new curriculum and I don't see any reason for manipulation of results," Kasanga told the Star on phone.
On Wednesday, the Kenya National Examination Council brushed off the possibility of results manipulation as they will moderate the exam scores.
Knec chief executive officer Mercy Karogo said that each school will be required to upload the test scores to the council for verification. She did not elaborate how the moderation of marks will be done.
Karogo said that the council will be the custodian of the final CAT marks. This means that even if a learner transfers to a different school, Knec will still have their marks.
Opponents of the new examination system also question KNEC’s capacity to moderate the examination results.