Education Ministry To Change KCSE Grading System
Principal Secretary of Basic Education Belio Kipsang has described the new Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) grading system.
Kipsang stated during a Monday event of the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms (PWPER) that the new grading system will focus on five basic subjects pertinent to a student’s specialization.
The system, he added, will emphasize a student’s literacy and numeracy skills.
The cluster will be comprised of five subjects, as opposed to the current cluster calculation, which takes into consideration all of the subjects pursued by a student.
“A student with the ability and interest in medicine or engineering need not be prevented from qualifying for the courses just because a subject that was used to grade him pulled down his overall Mean Grade,” stated the PS.
The new change was consistent with the task force’s recommendation that the national examinations’ grading system be altered.
He added that the current grading system was intended for certification and may have disadvantaged students pursuing specialized careers.
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“The current policy thrust of education is not only keen on ensuring that all children attend school,” the PS added.
“It is also much keen, if not keener, that all children get optimal learning experience regardless of their social background, physical or mental condition.”
In the CBC task force recommendations, the team asked President William Ruto to scrap the categorization of secondary institutions.
Instead, the task force advocated for secondary institutions to be classified according to the learners’ career path. Thus, students would select schools based on the subjects available and their desired vocations.
The Working Group, led by Raphael Munavu, also recommended renaming the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to the Kenya National Assessment Council (KNAC).
To ensure quality, the team led by Raphael Munavu recommended that the Ministry shift its focus from mandatory subjects to electives, allowing students to choose subjects that interest them.
Currently, Junior High School students are expected to study fourteen subjects.
Education Ministry To Change KCSE Grading System
