All parents across the country with children in Grade Three have been given up to 2 months to register their kids for an upcoming KNEC administered national exams which is part of the new 2-6-6-3 competency-based curriculum (CBC)
According to KNEC CEO, Dr. Mercy Karogo, the examination known as Kenya Early Years Assessment (KEYA), is meant to inform the national government on learning achievements attained by learners in Grade Three and it will only focus on Mathematics, English and Integrated Learning.
A number of stakeholders, important of all, the parents, not only remain in the dark about the significance of this process at this stage but are also unable to meet the registration deadline due to lack of proper documentation.
Further, there's a general feeling that most institutions are not well prepared for this activity scheduled to take place between September 16, 2019, and September 20, 2019. For instance, it is reported that all schools will need internet connectivity since the exam will be administered online, but just how many schools in the country have access to this while some can not even afford desks?
A number of teachers have also suggested, albeit in confidence, that they are not sure about what to expect about the entire process, pointing to a bigger problem of communication, proper orientation of school heads and general ill-preparedness by the ministry.
Ultimately, there's the question of pressure to the small kids. A national assessment, whether ranked or not, definitely creates expectations among stakeholders.
Parents will want to know how their kids performed as compared to others nationally, teachers will want to compare their performance with other schools. This pressure is eventually transferred to Grade Three kids who just want to learn and have fun at this stage, not competition.