A parliamentary probe into how the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education was leaked paints a picture of the desperate measures students, teachers and parents will take to get good grades.
These include bribing education and security officials, principals seeking friendly supervisors, students armed with unauthorised written material to examination rooms and using Telegram and Signal apps to share material.
According to the report, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is handling 68 cases of exam cheating countrywide, some 17 cases are still pending in court while six cases have been concluded. A warrant of arrest is still out for one case.
Why do they go to these lengths? Because so much premium is put on university education in Kenya that without it you are seen as a 'failure'.
The stakes are high as the exam is used to select students for various university courses. Schools and their principals therefore want to be seen as the best by sending high numbers to universities.
The exam determines the destiny of so many young minds, making them believe it is a matter of life and death which promotes cheating.
We must impress upon candidates that as a developing country we need more people with technical skills and this can be attained at the many middle-level colleges.
Stealing an exam and scoring an 'A' will not necessarily make you successful in life.
Quote of the Day: "Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it."
William Penn
The English Philosopher, Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania was born on October 14, 1644
