This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta made a significant announcement at the Ministry of Education national conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. He stated that grade six pupils will not sit for a final exam to join lower secondary school, as recommended by the new curriculum task force.
According to the president, the task force recommended that learners in grade six should not sit for the national examinations, allowing for a 100 percent transition to lower secondary. This decision aims to ease the transition process for students.
However, the conference was marred by controversy when officials of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) were barred from accessing the event due to lack of accreditation. The officials, including Secretary General Wilson Sossion, were reportedly blocked from entering the forum.
KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion expressed his frustration, stating that their names were missing from the delegates list and they did not have the necessary badges to attend. In contrast, the Kenya Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) were in attendance, led by Secretary General Akelo Misori.
It is worth noting that the conference brought together over 2,000 delegates from across the country and international organizations. The event aimed to provide a platform for academics, religious leaders, and opinion makers to discuss the quality and relevance of education in Kenya.
