Matiang’i said the Ministry of Education will remain focused on discharging its mandate regardless of opposition/FILE
Speaking during a ceremony to award scholarships to 1,700 students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations courtesy of the Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly programme, Matiang’i said the Ministry of Education will remain focused on discharging its mandate regardless of opposition.
“The ministry will not be distracted by the prophets of doom who want us to return to the past unethical practices that allowed children of the rich to access stolen exams,” he pointed out.
According to Matiang’i, the manner in which national examinations were administered in the past impacted negatively on the country’s education sector as unqualified students went on to pursue degree programmes in universities. This situation, he said, was what angered those disputing the credibility of the recently released examination results.
“Beneficiaries of KCPE examination leakage went on to join the best schools where they also went on to join the best universities only for them to flop in the competitive programmes at the universities such as medicine and engineering to which they were admitted,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary without making direct reference to calls by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary – General Wilson Sossion to have the 2016 national examination results recalled vowed not to look back on the gains made in reforming the examination sector, emphasizing that the exam results were credible.
“The same forces that led choruses of despondence are about town with a new song! Ignore them as you did in the past and let us prepare our children – this wonderful gift of God to us. The school calendar has started, let us remain focused and resist distraction, and insist on doing the right thing to the glory and honour of our God.”
His sentiments were echoed by Equity Group Holdings Limited’s Chairman Peter Munga who pledged to support the CS accomplish desired reforms in the education.
“I congratulate the CS for the exemplary performance in these exams,” Munga said as he humorously pledged to provide Matiang’i with “a bullet proof vest” to shield him from his foes.
Equity Bank CEO, James Mwangi, commended the Cabinet Secretary for ensuring the integrity of exams was safeguarded.
“When you distort the mechanism of opportunity allocation in the country, the country cannot stand on its own,” noted Mwangi who is also the Chairperson of Vision 2030.
On Sunday, Sossion demanded for the recall examination results saying they were manipulated as he questioned the speed with which the results were announced.
Sossion further called for the auditing of the marking process to unearth those liable for what he alleged was a “messed up process”.
The event held at the Kasarani Indoor Arena was also attended by MasterCard Foundation CEO Reeta Roy.
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