Panic as schools, pupils hit by missing KCPE results puzzle
Dozens of candidates who sat for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education did not get their results despite assurance by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i that no results had been cancelled.
Most of those affected received results with letters XX and AB indicated against some subjects and overall marks creating panic.
The Kenya National Examinations Council did not indicate how many candidates had been affected, but scores of candidates and parents continued to express outrage.
Amid the panic, the exams council acting chief executive Mercy Karogo insisted no results had been cancelled and instead the XX and AB could be as a result of mix-up in use of index numbers.
“When these issues are corrected, the actual results will be updated and so candidates are informed to continue checking their results,” Ms Karogo said.
HURRIED RESULTS
The hurried manner in which the results were compiled was evident on Thursday when Dr Matiang’i announced that the candidate with the highest marks had 436, then clarified it was 439 and finally it was 437 marks.
Ms Karogo asked parents to keep resending the text and that the results would be updated.
Ms Karogo identified the errors as; incorrect shading of index numbers, candidates mixing up index numbers, multiple candidates using the same index numbers and candidates using different index numbers in different subjects.
Mr Geoffrey Mbugua, the head teacher of Eldoret Premier School in Uasin Gishu County, said two students had not received all their results on Friday.
A number of parents calling Saturday Nation said they were worried that the results had been cancelled.
“I have received results showing double X against Kiswahili and triple X on the mean grade,” a student, Simon Chege said.
NO ANSWER
Simon had travelled from Kinangop with his mother Naomi Wanjiku, to the Knec offices to find out why his results were not clear. He did not receive an answer.
Another student Grace Mwangi’s results showed an AB against her Maths test, even though she received an overall mark of 217.
She was, however, not contented with the results of the other subjects that were made available, saying that the grades did not reflect her strengths and weaknesses in various subjects.
A boda boda rider, Michael Wagolla, who also sat for the examinations together with his daughter said his results had some marks missing. His daughter’s results with 341 marks were however released.
“I feel very disappointed because despite being a rider, I have tried my best to spare time and money for my studies for the past two years,” he said.
Some of those who called in to complain about the results, claimed that they had sent several messages to Knec without response.
MALPRACTICES
Dr Matiang’i said there were only 21 cases of malpractices, but said there was no single case of cheating, promising that every candidate who sat for the examinations would receive his/her results.
In Meru, a senior teacher at St John Primary, Mr Paul Karithi, said the school cannot establish whether it has improved in mean score due to the missing results.
At Wajir’s Furaha Primary School, 24 students have not received their results while four are yet to receive theirs at Islamic Call Foundation Primary School.
In Mandera, many schools are yet to get their test results.
In Nyandarua, parents at Kanyugi Primary School whose children failed to get results in English paper have threatened to go to court to stop the Form One selection until the examination council addresses the problem.
SOURCE: Daily Nation
