The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Trans Nzoia branch Steering Committee has called for suspension of form one placement exercise until all the complaints raised concerning 2023 KCPE results are properly addressed and errors corrected.
Speaking to the press in Kitale, the union’s Executive Secretary George Wanjala said the irregularities in the just released KCPE results lowers the credibility of Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
“As a union, we are still asking why the hurry to release the results? Is the country ending? We could say KNEC is very effective if they had taken the shortest time and released error free results. This test is not just a test, it will determine where our children will be placed and our children should get results that reflect their hard work,” Wanjala said.
In addition, Wilberforce Wamalwa, the KNUT branch chairperson claimed teachers who marked the exams were overworked and underpaid.
He also expressed doubts on the current leadership of KNEC.
“Our teachers who marked the papers under a lot of pressure ended up being underpaid by the council. The council then delivered results with a lot of errors and we are asking them if they are tired, they should pack and go,” Wamalwa said.
KCSE results
On her part, Patricia Melisa, the Women Representative in the Union called on KNEC to be cautious and careful with the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.
“Now that they have already messed with KCPE, we are asking them not to mess with KCSE, because that will be disastrous. The KCSE certificate is a very crucial document that everywhere you go to look for a job, you must produce,” Melisa said.
She also revealed that the union is investigating a complaint that a teacher collapsed and died during the marking of KCPE due to heavy workload.
Phoebe Maneno, the treasurer and her assistant Teresa Talai said KNEC should be compelled to remark the exam so that all the affected pupils can get justice.
“We insist that our children should not be placed until all the registered errors have been corrected by KNEC. That is the only way the council can serve justice to the affected children.”
Last week, KNEC admitted that there were some irregularities in the results obtained through the short code provided by the Ministry of education.
Since then, a section of Members of Parliament led by the Education Committee chairperson who is also Tinderet Constituency MP Julius Meli revealed plans to summon the Education Cabinet Secretary to appear before the committee to explain the incompetence.
