More than 2.5 million learners have begun the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) across the country, with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) urging school administrators to avoid unnecessary pressure on candidates and ensure a malpractice-free exercise.
A total of 1,380,463 Grade Six learners and 1,206,028 Grade Nine learners are sitting the assessments, as 1,048,355 candidates continue with the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations nationwide.
Speaking in Kisumu on Monday, October 26, during the distribution of assessment papers to various examination centres, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chief Executive Officer and KNEC board member Professor Charles Ong’ondo commended teachers and other education stakeholders for preparing learners for the assessments.
Ong’ondo said preparing learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) requires sustained efforts from teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders, adding that he was pleased with the level of preparedness in Kisumu County.
“We are happy that the assessment of Grade Six and Grade Nine learners has started. As the custodian of the curriculum, I know it takes time for teachers and everyone involved to ensure that children are adequately prepared. I am happy that everyone in Kisumu is ready for this exercise,” he said.
However, Ong’ondo cautioned examination centre managers against placing excessive pressure on candidates, emphasising that the assessments are intended to evaluate learners’ progress rather than create a high-stakes examination environment.
He noted that 60 per cent of the learners’ scores in both KPSEA and KJSEA come from school-based assessments, urging centre managers to uphold integrity and ensure that the results accurately reflect each learner’s abilities.
Ong’ondo warned against examination malpractice, saying credible results would help education officials identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses and provide the necessary support as they transition to the next stages of their education.
“My message is that we should not raise the stakes unnecessarily. These are assessments, not examinations. For KPSEA, learners already have 60 per cent of their results based on school-based assessments, and the same applies to KJSEA,” he said.
“We are asking centre managers to ensure there is no form of malpractice because we want genuine scores that will help us identify where learners need assistance as they transition to junior or senior school.”
Meanwhile, Kisumu County Director of Education Magara Onduso said the county had made adequate preparations for the exercise, praising centre managers for reporting on time and facilitating the timely distribution of assessment materials.
According to Onduso, Kisumu County has registered 33,650 candidates for KPSEA, who will sit their assessments in 773 centres. A further 33,444 Grade Nine learners are registered for KJSEA in 720 centres.
He said the county had put in place transport and security arrangements to ensure assessment materials reach all centres safely throughout the exercise.
Onduso disclosed that two security officers had been assigned to escort every vehicle transporting assessment materials to examination centres as part of measures to safeguard the process.
“This morning, we started the KPSEA and KJSEA assessments, and I am proud to say that we are very well prepared. Centre managers reported on time, and we managed to distribute the assessment materials promptly,” he said.
“Our candidates are well prepared, transport arrangements are in place, and security has been strengthened throughout the exercise. Every bus transporting assessment materials to the centres is being escorted by two security officers.”
The KPSEA assessments are scheduled to run for three days, while the KJSEA exercise will take five days, with education officials urging all stakeholders to maintain vigilance and ensure learners undertake the assessments in a secure and supportive environment.
