President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the Kenya National Examinations Council (KCSE) to cease using index numbers in national examinations starting 2017.
The Head of State instead advised the exam body to ensure all registered examination candidates have unique personal identifiers (UPIs) in Student Registration Numbers (SRNs) that they will use throughout their presence. This will be used at all levels in the Kenya education system.
The president was speaking when he met with Cabinet Secretary for Education Dr Fred Matiang’i at State House, Mombasa when he presented a brief ahead of announcing the release of the 2016 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.
The President congratulated the team, comprising the Ministry of Education and all its relevant agencies, for delivering credible results, noting that the Jubilee administration’s reform plan of restoring the integrity of the national examinations system has progressed at a commendable pace.
President Kenyatta also assured candidates of the 2016 KSCE that whatever results they got, there was still hope and possibility to make it to their career of choice.
He said although there was a significant drop in the performance in this year’s KCSE examinations, compared to the previous year, the results by and large posited a normal performance curve – a clear indication are that the examinations marking and final results are credible.
He directed the Ministry of Education to put in place effective plans to institutionalise the ongoing reforms in the sector to ensure sustainability and entrenchment.
PSCU