Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Education, has banned all mock and joint examinations for all schools.
“The purpose of this circular is to ask you to bring to the attention of all schools within your jurisdiction and take corrective measures to stop any occurrence,” reads the statement.
The ministry also advised all schools not to hold any inter-school examinations because the program would conflict with the school calendar.
Kipsang went on to say that the decision was reached after meetings with the Parliamentary Committee on Education and the Special Investigation Team, both of which were chaired by David Koech and Claire Omollo, respectively.
The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) had previously advocated for a ban on joint mock exams.
The association also suggested that the ministry implement more strategies to ensure the education sector’s sanity.
Previously, the ministry proposed replacing mock exams with Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs), claiming that the practice had been commercialized by various schools.
School strikes, according to the ministry, have increased tensions in schools, particularly boarding schools. Students strikes were motivated by a variety of challenges they faced, as well as their demands for better conditions.
In 2021, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) expressed concern about student strikes, which were allegedly triggered by the ministry’s announcement of shorter half-term breaks.
Omboko Milemba, the union’s chairman, explained that mid-term breaks were necessary for students to relieve stress and allow parents to counsel their children before returning to school.
