Schools to open despite heavy rains, says PS Kipsang.
Despite the continued torrential rains and floods that have damaged vital infrastructure across the nation, schools will resume for the second term next week, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang announced on Thursday.
He mentioned that the opening was being prepared for. Regional directors of education have received a circular from Elyas Abdi, the Director General of the Ministry of Education, directing them to gather information on the effects of the rain and floods and turn it in by today (Friday) as part of the preparations.
“We are excited for our kids to start school and we are prepared. In order to protect our children as they return to their studies, we as a ministry will actively participate in the multitasking efforts alongside our colleagues, stated Dr. Kipsang.
He was giving a speech at the first-ever annual symposium on competency-based assessment (CBA) held in Nairobi by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec).
According to the PS, a multi-agency team is carrying out President William Ruto’s directive to resolve the difficulties caused by the rains. According to Dr. Kipsang, this is a component of the extensive arrangements meant to make it easier for students to return to classrooms across the nation.
The news raises doubts about whether it will be possible to resume school operations due to worries about how the intense rains will affect transportation and infrastructural networks.
The ministry is gathering information in order to assess basic education institutions’ preparedness for the upcoming term and use that information to guide preparation, particularly for the Education in Emergencies Cluster Working Group. In order to guarantee that all basic education institutions open for the second term, Dr. Abdi encouraged regional directors to collaborate with management committees.
“Data on the impact of the rains and floods will be critical to share with the Education in Emergencies Cluster Working Group,” added the statement.
Regarding assessment, Dr. Kipsang stated that a shift from traditional, high-pressure exams like the KCPE to a holistic approach is important in Kenya’s educational evaluation system and curriculum.
“We will anchor our assessment on both formative and summative assessment so that we can give our children equal opportunities,” he stated.
Compared to traditional exams, Dr. Kipsang’s ongoing school-based evaluations will offer a more thorough knowledge of a learner’s progress.
Teachers will play a key role in the success of the competency-based assessment program, which will be implemented in elementary and secondary schools. The program will include both formative and summative examinations.
“Our teachers have embraced this transition with amazing dedication and flexibility. They have made sure that summative and school-based examinations are aligned,” the PS stated.
When selecting their desired pathways, he urged students to look for schools that complement their interests and strengths, especially in the senior level.
“We want to take everyone with us as we now move to the next critical stage, which is pathways and placement in those pathways.”
About certification and grading, Dr. Kipsang stated that a student’s placement in courses—at colleges or in the workforce—will be determined by their performance on the Grade 12 exam.
Students in Grade 6 take the summative Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), which is worth 60% of their final grade. Forty percent of the assessments in Grades 4 and 5 are formative.
The learner and the teacher shared 60% of the total. Thus, why should it worry us so much if we need to enlist the aid of another person to complete that assessment?” He inquired.
“As we move forward from Grade 6, we will allow the teacher to take the lead in their progress and their work.”
He stated that going future, police officers would only be permitted to retrieve and distribute the exam papers; they will not be permitted inside the classrooms when students are taking their Grades 6 and 9 exams.
“Police officers will not be allowed in examination centres during the CBC Grade 6 and 9 examinations,” according to the PS.
The PS also stated that in order to house the first Grade 9 students in 2025, the government intends to construct 16,000 extra classrooms in elementary schools.
When Grade 9 students transfer to the final junior school class in January 2025, he promised that the classrooms would be completed.
Schools to open despite heavy rains, says PS Kipsang.
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