As an education stakeholder, how exactly do you perceive exam Leakages and irregulalities? In my case, exam seasons keep reminding me of a sad experience, during the same period in November 2015. I had visited one national school within the Nairobi Metropolis (not County).
Since the school’s principal had earlier acquired some copies of Career Dynamics in the 21 Century, having a feel of what he thought of my ideas was quite welcome. Upon meeting, the principal seemed quite disturbed, a situation that led me into finding out what the problem could have been.
Principal: I am just concerned about examination leakages.
Me: What about them?
Principal: The question papers are reaching students 4 days before the exam date.
Me: As such, you are having adequate time to coach them, isn’t it?
Principal: No please; we aren’t involved at all. Nevertheless, students are discussing the questions in groups and there’s nothing we can do about that. Do you have a solution on that exam leakage challenge?
Me:No thanks since you’ve just revealed the same. However, I suggest that you just do your work as is normally expected.
After parting ways with the principal, I was constantly disturbed by this genuine revelation of exam leakages, which I could never have expected. The same kept reminding me of an article published in the Daily Nation Newspaper of 23rd May 2015, mainly about the ideas in the then newly released “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,” concept.
Based on what I had learnt from the principal of a national school, I imagined that most of the then 10,000 A’s achieved in every exam (those days as revealed in the article), could actually have been fake. As such, were the fake grades not a major contribution to mediocrity in our country. Further, was exam thefts not a culture of turning Kenyans into becoming perpetual thieves?
This exam leakages experience made me recall a PCEA Church empowerment seminar, upon invite by the Reverend in charge, somewhere in Kasarani, that I had conducted on 29th August 2015. A participant had wondered whether I had shared my ideas with authorities in the Ministry of Education headquarters. Obviously, I hadn’t done that by then.
On December 17th 2015, I was again invited by the Priest in charge of a Catholic Church, somewhere in Upper Hill, Nairobi. I was meant to address a meeting of men’s fellowship on empowerment issues. Once more, I was asked whether I have shared my ideas with the MOE Hqs. This time, the participant indicated that he was representing their Church at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Institute – KICD, meetings on issues to do with the new curriculum, thus his interest.
All the 3 experiences, became of great concern. In March 2016, I walked to MOE Hqs, armed with a letter forwarding the “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,” concept to the office of Dr. Fred Matiang’i, the then Education CS. Apparently, he forwarded the letter to his assistants and not a copy of the concept (an interesting read he found, as we discussed upon meeting in April 2017). The officers contacted me later, seeking an extra copy. Soon, things took a dramatic turn in the education system.
The good news is that: First, it had become clear how the education system should produce quality graduates. Also, it became clear that beneficiaries of exam leakages have no sustainable space in the 21st Century.
Second, the 10, 000 largely fake A’s were reduced to 241 genuine ones, in the 2016 exams, 242 in 2017 and not more than 600 in the following years. Third, the new Competency Based Curriculum-CBC took shape and borrowed architectural ideas directly from “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century.”
Fourth, all universities were ordered to initiate career services departments. Fifth, Parallel degree programs (module 2) became extinct after fake A’s disappeared. Sixth, Universities producing poor quality graduates continue feeling the heat as had been clearly articulated in chapter 10 of Career Dynamics in the 21st Century.
Thankfully, all the 6 issues highlighted are today authenticated by various Authorities in the education system. Most importantly, the issues addressed are inevitably invaluable HOME GROWN SOLUTIONS TO the KENYAN EDUCATION SYSTEM, aren’t they?
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Consultant/Seasoned Speaker/Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Officially UNSUNG Architect of Competency Based Curriculum-CBC
Author of
1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,
2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life
- The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210
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