Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha, while releasing last year’s KCPE results, says cases of examination cheating reduced compared to previous years, with only 328 students conspiring to cheat in seven examination centres.
While addressing the media today, CS Magoha said teachers involved in examination malpractices will lose their jobs.
He further said the Education Ministry will not let any teacher who is a party to examination malpractice go unpunished.
“We shall punish both students and teachers involved in the vice. Wait and see. It is not a joke anymore,” CS Magoha said.
He said in the next two weeks, teachers caught cheating during the examination period will face punitive measures.
“If you are bold enough, go ahead and try. There is a price you shall pay and it is not a very sweet price!” The CS said.
“It is a criminal offence to confuse a young star. Those who are bold and doing so by taking money from these people must be prepared to face the consequences,” Magoha added.
In the 2021 KCPE exams that saw 1,214,031 candidates sit the examination in 28,313 centres, there was an increase in the number of boys sitting the examination; of 1,214,031, 50.28 percent were boys and 49.72 per cent were girls.
This was an increase of 2.95 percent as compared to 2020. CS Magoha noted that twelve counties registered more female than male candidates.
They include Mombasa, Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu and Siaya.
Interestingly, the number of candidates who were absent decreased from 12,424 in 2020 to 11,523 in 2021.
While those who were below 12 increased from 26,378 in 2020 to 33,627 in 2021. Baringo had the highest number of underage candidates at 1,302, closely followed by Bomet at 1,932. Other counties with underage candidates include Kericho, West Pokot and Nyamira.
Turkana had the highest number of candidates who were 19 years and above. Other counties that recorded many candidates above 19 years are Garissa Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera.
CS Magoha announced an improvement in English Composition, Kiswahili Lugha, Kiswahili Insha, Kenyan Sign Language Composition, Science and Social Studies.
However, there was a drop in performance in Mathematics, English Language and Religious Education.
While female candidates performed slightly better than their male counterparts in English and Kiswahili, male candidates were better than female candidates in Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education.
On overall performance of candidates, 8,091 candidates scored between 400 and 500, 315,275 scored between 300 and 399, while 47.18 per cent of the candidates scored between 200 and 299 and 25 per cent of the candidates scored between 100 and 199.
There was a decrease in the number of students who sat the examination under special circumstances, including those who sat in hospitals, from 1,240 in the year 2020 to 1,067 in the year 2021.
CS Magoha issued a warning to headteachers of different primary schools on ensuring that each student gets their result slip. He also assured parents that all students would be placed in a secondary school.