This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has announced that preparations for the national examinations are complete, with enhanced security features in place. The announcement was made on Friday at St Stephens Lwanya Girls' High School in Busia County, where the Matayos Sub-county Education Day was marked.
Magoha urged parents and teachers to be on the lookout for exam cartels that target them with fake papers, warning that they would start appearing on the streets from next month.
'From next month you will start seeing fake papers on the streets. If you want to buy them I urge you to give me the money I take it to church,' Magoha said.
He also advised teachers to desist from rushing the syllabus, citing instances where some schools did so in March.
'Take your time and ensure your students have understood the syllabus by July or September. There is no need to complete it in March then rush students through revision only to register poor results after they miss concepts,' Magoha said.
The CS also announced that the government set aside Sh8 billion in the new financial year for improvement of infrastructure in 30 counties, including Busia.
'We understand challenges that have come with the government's 100 per cent transition policy. The government is committed to addressing infrastructural challenges on a yearly basis. This year we already have Sh 1.2 billion for the cause,' Magoha said.
Magoha noted, however, that some of the challenges schools are facing are self-inflicted due to inflated costs by contractors hired to put up classrooms.
'Dishonesty has made us steal from our own. A classroom should cost between Sh500,000 and 750,000. When you build a class for above Sh1 million you are doing a disservice to our children,' Magoha said.
He also directed education managers to dismiss personnel claiming to conduct research in schools on the competence-based curriculum without the ministry's approval.
