The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has launched a new biometric enrolment and validation of teachers system intended to address staff shortages and prevent the use of fake degrees. Pre-loaded data from the TSC payroll system will be validated when the teachers provide physical documents such as an enrolment certificate, national identity card, letter of first and last appointment together with their academic and professional certificates. This pilot registration took off in 143 schools in seven counties.

After an attempt to cheat in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, the Teachers Service Commission has commenced disciplinary action against errant teachers of a Kisii school, Nairobi. The Teachers Service Commission Chief Executive said seven teachers and a school principal are already facing action. Capital FM News established that a Chemistry paper had been sneaked out of the examination room but was quickly confiscated when the attempt to compromise the exam occurred at Monianku Secondary School.

The Education Cabinet Secretary has vowed to ensure that people using fake university degree papers are unearthed. Addressing principals at All Saints Cathedral Anglican in Nairobi, the education CS lashed out at those who want to assume leadership roles by irregularly acquiring academic qualifications, saying the ministry will rein in on academic miscreants in an effort to promote integrity. He urged the principals to be at the forefront in instilling virtues and challenged them to take responsibility for failures in their institutions.

The Education Cabinet Secretary brushed off critics of the new measures he announced on Wednesday and announced that he will set aside all his ministerial duties in November to go around the country and monitor how the national examinations will be conducted. The secretary, known for his impromptu visits to schools which have put many headteachers on the spot, on Friday said his November 4 to 30 diary had been cleared to ensure he visits schools countrywide. He said there were many other measures the ministry has in the pipeline to stem examination cheating, including the use of technology.

The new rules spelt out by the Education Cabinet Secretary to curb cheating in national examinations signal the government’s determination to restore credibility in the country’s education system. For the past few years, the country has been grappling with rising cases of examination cheating, which reached ridiculous levels last year to the point where the public lost faith in the sanctity of the exams as schools, candidates, parents, examiners, and education and security officers were all roped into the cheating loop. More bold action must be taken to restore the credibility of the exams.

The school calendar has been reorganised and far-reaching changes introduced in the administration of national examinations to curb cheating. The Education CS on Wednesday banned all social activities in the third term — including prayer days, visiting, half term breaks, sports, prize-giving ceremonies and annual general meetings — to cut contact between candidates and outsiders. He also shortened the period for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams from six weeks to four and put head teachers directly in charge of the tests in their respective schools.

The Kenya National Examination Council has warned KCSE candidates and their parents against buying a fake Chemistry exam paper being circulated. The Council will intercept fake papers and take legal action against individuals found circulating and selling them.

Malindi's deputy District Education Officer has asked head teachers to ensure that students complete the syllabus in time. He said failure by teachers to complete the syllabus early hurts the students' performance in national exams. She said completing the syllabus in time will encourage good performance and curb any irregularities in the exam.

Widespread cheating in the 2004 KCSE examination has been discovered. The civil society want the government to explain why it has failed to stop examination cheating. Some 1,739 candidates from 107 schools had their results cancelled for cheating. Out of this, 1,617 were found to have colluded with each other, 134 were caught with unauthorised information during the exams and another 16 were found impersonating.