The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has revealed a list of schools involved in unethical practices to cheat the public that they are well performing.
According to Knec, the said schools do among other things registration of ‘weak’ students differently from those perceived to be stronger in academic performance.
The schools then use the mean score from the centres that registered the better-performing candidates and cheat the public of a better mean performance when the real picture is different.
According to Nation, these schools include Marell Academy in Bungoma, Makini Academy - Ngong Road in Nairobi which registered only 21 candidates and attained a mean score of 419.
The school, however, has satellite centres in Nairobi and this insinuates that it might have had more than 100 candidates who were separately registered.
Others are Newlight Academy in Nairobi’s Komarock estate (had 21 candidates) with a mean score of 410, Gilgil Hills Academy (23 candidates) with a high mean score of 405, Lizar Junior School - Naivasha (70 candidates) with a mean of 404, Chelsa Academy – Bomet (28 candidates) with a mean of 402 and Fred’s Academy – Imenti North with (44 candidates) with a mean of 400.
The Kenya Private Schools Association has admitted that over 20 schools are involved in the unethical practice and has appealed to the government to deregister them.
According to Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, the Ministry of Education is aware of the practice and has promised stern action.
“This is a ridiculous examination malpractice since the proprietors of these schools are clearly using innocent pupils in an unscrupulous marketing exercise of their businesses,” said Matiang’i.
However, Private Schools Association chief executive Peter Ndoro faulted Matiang’i’s ministry of failing to act and said that the ministry has been informed of these malpractices since 2012.