Both public and private primary schools are overworking to ensure they meet the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) deadline for uploading scores.

Knec uploaded the Competency Based Assessment (CBA) tools on the their portal and asked schools to download, print and administer the assessments.

The assessments which cover Grade 3, 4 and 5 were done this term between 29th January to 4th February 2022 and schools were given till 21st February 2022 to ensure they have uploaded learners scores to the online platform.

The assessments done in term three covered theory and oral work. The three classes did their practicals and project based assessments last term.

Grade 3, 4 and 5 practicals and projects were administered between 29th October and 10th December 2021.

For the projects and practicals schools were required to administer, score and upload the scores to the Knec portal by 17th December 2021.

For a long time schools have not been able to upload the assessment scores due to poor Knec servers. Its not the first time for schools to complain offer the issue.

However last week Knec corrected the anomaly that saw its servers humming back to life, allowing schools to upload the learners scores.

But still schools want Knec to pay for the time lost due to their poor system. Knec officials who spoke to us assured that the deadline will be extended to cover the days lost.

Teachers are also complaining of tough assessment questions which are not to the level of the learners. Some teachers say some questions challenge even the teachers themselves and wonder how learners could work them out.

According to KICD officials they say the questions are set inline with the curriculum design and that no question is beyond the content the learner is exposed to.

The officials also questioned the level of teacher preparedness to handle the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Most assessment questions lacked multiple choices. This is contrary to how questions were set in a 8.4.4 system.

Through a circular it released last year, Knec said it will upload Monitoring Learners Progress (MLP) assessment tools for Grades 3 and Foundation level for Special Needs Education (SNE).

Knec also said it will upload School  based assessment tools for Grades 4, 5 and Intermediate level for Special Needs Education (SNE).

Knec had ordered schools to use locally available materials in carrying out the practicals so as not to burden parents.

“The materials required for performing the assessment tasks should be obtained from the immediate school  environment or improvised as much as is possible,” said Knec CEO David Njengere.

Some parents raised complaints that schools are overcharging them for the Knec assessments and practicals. Some schools are said to be charging between sh. 200 to sh. 500 per child for the assessments.

Schools were expected to download the assessment tools and instructions then administer, score and upload the assessment outcomes on the KNEC portal.

Grade 3 had there Mathematics and English assessment tools for regular leaners and those with special needs uploaded on the portal on 29th January 2022.

Schools administered the assessments between 31st January and 4th February 2022 and are to upload the scores on Knec portal by 21st February 2022 (tomorrow).

For grade 4 and 5 regular learners had the following assessment areas administered in term three in theory and oral;

1. Mathematics

2. English

3. Kiswahili

4. Kenyan Sign Language

5. Science and Technology

6. Agriculture

7. Music

8. Art and Craft

9. Social Studies

10. Christian Religious Education (CRE)

11. Islamic Religious Education (IRE)

12. Hindu Religious Education (HRE)

13) Home Science

14) Physical and Health Education

According to Knec the assessments were to be administered between 31st January and 4th February 2022.

To access the assessment portal, Headteachers were required to login onto the CBA portal: https://cba.knec.ac.ke using their school Knec centre code as username and password.

Knec also ordered school headteachers to keep all records generated from the assessments.

David Njengere, Knec CEO, says for Ministry of Education to get meaningful feedback that can guide making the necessary interventions in the education system, there is a need for periodical national assessment at the critical tiers in the education system.

He said a national assessment centre has since been established at Knec, which has been conducting various formative national assessments.

Njengere said the assessment objectives are to: improve learning and instruction, facilitate identification and nurturing of every learner’s potential, facilitate selection of pathways and track in senior secondary schools, provide assessment feedback to learners and other stakeholders, and provide evidence as a basis for the accountability of teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders.

“Learners, will be assessed in Early Years Education in Grade 3, Middle Years Education in Grade 6, Lower secondary education in Grade 9 and Senior school education in grade 12,” said Njengere.

He explained that an assessment provides large-scale feedback on learning outcomes at the formative stages for decision making while an examination is a summative assessment given for individual achievement, selection and placement.

The assessment tools were uploaded as shown below:

In December 2021 Knec warned parents and teachers that learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum will not be allowed to transfer schools upon reaching Grade 6.

A document by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) spells that under the CBC school transfers will only be admissible to learners in between Grade 1 and 5.

Upon reaching Grade 4 and 5, learners will be required to go to the sub-county director of education should they seek a transfer.

Learners will also need a special assessment number issued by KNEC when they finish Grade 3.

This number will be used to facilitate the assessment of the learners that begins in Grade 4.

The assessment number will be consistent throughout their education and will be used by KNEC in recording the learners’ assessment progress.

This means that should a learner opts to transfer from one school to the other, they will have to retain the assessment number.

Those seeking transfers under CBC at that level—Grade 4 and 5—assessment number will be used to facilitate the transfer process.

The school where the learner was, will receive the transfer request online and click Accept/decline button.

A learner will be transferred to the new school upon acceptance by the headteacher.

“Learners not in the KNEC system at Grade 4 and 5 can be registered by both the sub-county director of education and the headteacher,” the document reads.

Under CBC assessment will be  in Grade 4, 5 and 6.

Under the new curriculum, transition from Grade 6 to junior high school will be based on a hybrid model involving a combination of CATs (Classroom Assessment Techniques) and KNEC tests.

Learners in the Competency-Based Curriculum will sit a final examination at the end of primary school, just like KCPE, but the test will not entirely decide their secondary school.

Learners will be required to take CATs at the end of Grades 4, 5 and 6 that will be part of the final mark the learners get at the end of primary school.

Each CAT will carry 20 per cent of the final mark. This means the three CATs will cumulatively account for 60 per cent of the final score.

The remaining 40 per cent will be from the Kenya National Examination Council exam to be issued administered the end of Grade 6.

Headteachers shall access the Competency Based Assessment through a KNEC portal: cba.knec.ac.ke using the school’s username and password.

GRADE 3, 4 AND 5 ASSESSMENT PROJECTS AND PRACTICALS IN PICTURES

Both public and private primary schools are overworking to ensure they meet the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) deadline for uploading scores.

Knec uploaded the Competency Based Assessment (CBA) tools on the their portal and asked schools to download, print and administer the assessments.

The assessments which cover Grade 3, 4 and 5 were done this term between 29th January to 4th February 2022 and schools were given till 21st February 2022 to ensure they have uploaded learners scores to the online platform.

The assessments done in term three covered theory and oral work. The three classes did their practicals and project based assessments last term.

Grade 3, 4 and 5 practicals and projects were administered between 29th October and 10th December 2021.

For the projects and practicals schools were required to administer, score and upload the scores to the Knec portal by 17th December 2021.

For a long time schools have not been able to upload the assessment scores due to poor Knec servers. Its not the first time for schools to complain offer the issue.

However last week Knec corrected the anomaly that saw its servers humming back to life, allowing schools to upload the learners scores.

But still schools want Knec to pay for the time lost due to their poor system. Knec officials who spoke to us assured that the deadline will be extended to cover the days lost.

Teachers are also complaining of tough assessment questions which are not to the level of the learners. Some teachers say some questions challenge even the teachers themselves and wonder how learners could work them out.

According to KICD officials they say the questions are set inline with the curriculum design and that no question is beyond the content the learner is exposed to.

The officials also questioned the level of teacher preparedness to handle the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Most assessment questions lacked multiple choices. This is contrary to how questions were set in a 8.4.4 system.

Through a circular it released last year, Knec said it will upload Monitoring Learners Progress (MLP) assessment tools for Grades 3 and Foundation level for Special Needs Education (SNE).

Knec also said it will upload School  based assessment tools for Grades 4, 5 and Intermediate level for Special Needs Education (SNE).

Knec had ordered schools to use locally available materials in carrying out the practicals so as not to burden parents.

“The materials required for performing the assessment tasks should be obtained from the immediate school  environment or improvised as much as is possible,” said Knec CEO David Njengere.

Some parents raised complaints that schools are overcharging them for the Knec assessments and practicals. Some schools are said to be charging between sh. 200 to sh. 500 per child for the assessments.

Schools were expected to download the assessment tools and instructions then administer, score and upload the assessment outcomes on the KNEC portal.

Grade 3 had there Mathematics and English assessment tools for regular leaners and those with special needs uploaded on the portal on 29th January 2022.

Schools administered the assessments between 31st January and 4th February 2022 and are to upload the scores on Knec portal by 21st February 2022 (tomorrow).

For grade 4 and 5 regular learners had the following assessment areas administered in term three in theory and oral;

1. Mathematics

2. English

3. Kiswahili

4. Kenyan Sign Language

5. Science and Technology

6. Agriculture

7. Music

8. Art and Craft

9. Social Studies

10. Christian Religious Education (CRE)

11. Islamic Religious Education (IRE)

12. Hindu Religious Education (HRE)

13) Home Science

14) Physical and Health Education

According to Knec the assessments were to be administered between 31st January and 4th February 2022.

To access the assessment portal, Headteachers were required to login onto the CBA portal: https://cba.knec.ac.ke using their school Knec centre code as username and password.

Knec also ordered school headteachers to keep all records generated from the assessments.

David Njengere, Knec CEO, says for Ministry of Education to get meaningful feedback that can guide making the necessary interventions in the education system, there is a need for periodical national assessment at the critical tiers in the education system.

He said a national assessment centre has since been established at Knec, which has been conducting various formative national assessments.

Njengere said the assessment objectives are to: improve learning and instruction, facilitate identification and nurturing of every learner’s potential, facilitate selection of pathways and track in senior secondary schools, provide assessment feedback to learners and other stakeholders, and provide evidence as a basis for the accountability of teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders.

“Learners, will be assessed in Early Years Education in Grade 3, Middle Years Education in Grade 6, Lower secondary education in Grade 9 and Senior school education in grade 12,” said Njengere.

He explained that an assessment provides large-scale feedback on learning outcomes at the formative stages for decision making while an examination is a summative assessment given for individual achievement, selection and placement.

The assessment tools were uploaded as shown below:

In December 2021 Knec warned parents and teachers that learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum will not be allowed to transfer schools upon reaching Grade 6.

A document by the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) spells that under the CBC school transfers will only be admissible to learners in between Grade 1 and 5.

Upon reaching Grade 4 and 5, learners will be required to go to the sub-county director of education should they seek a transfer.

Learners will also need a special assessment number issued by KNEC when they finish Grade 3.

This number will be used to facilitate the assessment of the learners that begins in Grade 4.

The assessment number will be consistent throughout their education and will be used by KNEC in recording the learners’ assessment progress.

This means that should a learner opts to transfer from one school to the other, they will have to retain the assessment number.

Those seeking transfers under CBC at that level—Grade 4 and 5—assessment number will be used to facilitate the transfer process.

The school where the learner was, will receive the transfer request online and click Accept/decline button.

A learner will be transferred to the new school upon acceptance by the headteacher.

“Learners not in the KNEC system at Grade 4 and 5 can be registered by both the sub-county director of education and the headteacher,” the document reads.

Under CBC assessment will be  in Grade 4, 5 and 6.

Under the new curriculum, transition from Grade 6 to junior high school will be based on a hybrid model involving a combination of CATs (Classroom Assessment Techniques) and KNEC tests.

Learners in the Competency-Based Curriculum will sit a final examination at the end of primary school, just like KCPE, but the test will not entirely decide their secondary school.

Learners will be required to take CATs at the end of Grades 4, 5 and 6 that will be part of the final mark the learners get at the end of primary school.

Each CAT will carry 20 per cent of the final mark. This means the three CATs will cumulatively account for 60 per cent of the final score.

The remaining 40 per cent will be from the Kenya National Examination Council exam to be issued administered the end of Grade 6.

Headteachers shall access the Competency Based Assessment through a KNEC portal: cba.knec.ac.ke using the school’s username and password.

GRADE 3, 4 AND 5 ASSESSMENT PROJECTS AND PRACTICALS IN PICTURES