Education CS Amina Mohamed has refuted claims that the national exams have been militarized, as a result of the heightened security presence in exam centres and the formula used to ensure there are no exam malpractices. Speaking in Eldoret, CS Amina said the systems put in place so far to manage the national exams are working, “I don’t know about militarization….we are using resources that are always available to the executive to use.” She said Kenyans are supportive of the systems being used, and that she hopes the systems will stand the test of time, “We’ll continue using them as long as we need them, you should get used to them.”
She said cases of malpractice that have cropped up have been dealt with quickly and that the Ministry is still learning lessons as time advances. On the issue of teenage pregnancies, she said any girl will be allowed to do the exams and pursue her education dreams, no matter the situation she is in, “We’ll allow them to continue for as long as they want to, they must realize their potential just like any other Kenyan.” The Education CS said in order to deal with the conundrum of teen pregnancies in schools, that have become the blot in the national exams calendar, everyone in the society must take responsibility and that the situation must be examined in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
She said the government is still collecting data to make sure the number of girls affected is right, “Now we are collecting the data, as soon as we get that data we’ll analyze it and develop the right measures required.” The Education CS said many things will be analyzed to ensure they come up with the right measures to deal with the issues of teenage pregnancies that affect the education of teenagers in schools, and that different sectors in the society will have something to contribute.
