The Ministry of Education has released a new KCSE grading system that will be applied to the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination upon release.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu revealed that only two mandatory subjects will be used in ranking. The two mandatory subjects will be Mathematics and one language.
In addition to the mandatory subjects, the national examinations body, KNEC will choose any other five best perfomed subjects. This will be used to rank the students based on how best he has perfomed in the subjects, leaving the poorly performed.
According to the Ministry, the new measure will be used to increase number of students qualifying for higher learning institutions. These institutions include Universities, TVETs, training institutes and other certified institutions.
This follows a report that was done by the Presidential Working Party that did an 8-4-4 reforms report. The report revealed that the current grading system disadvantaged learners whose best performing subjects were not considered. This prompted the move by the Ministry of Education.
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The report also raised concerns about grading where there is unhealthy competition for limited slots. This has encouraged exam malpractice and lack of credibility in National exams.
According to the report, learners are wasted just after form four because of lack of strength consideration. Most learners fail to proceed because the system overlooked their subject strength because of demand of specific subjects.
Education ministry is focused on implementing the recommendation by the report starting with the 2023 KCSE class. This is by implementing better policies that will be inclusive to all students without concetrating on specific subjects.
This will lead to different strength identification through picking of five best performing subjects of a learner. This will help in placing students to various institutions depending on his/her strengths.
Therefore, the ministry will not overlook subjects that have previously been considered as “supporting subjects”. All subjects will be treated equally and with the same magnitude as the rest, thus more tertiary entry. This will be part of the new KCSE grading system henceforth.
