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{
"id": 196904,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/196904/?format=api",
"text_counter": 111,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Ongeri",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Education",
"speaker": {
"id": 124,
"legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
"slug": "samson-ongeri"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a very sensational March 25, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 367 issue, and I seek the indulgence of the Chair that I be able to deal with this situation firmly and correctly. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important for me to point out to hon. Members that candidates do not use their school names or codes when writing their answers. Instead, they use security codes allocated by the council each year. The purpose for this security code is to ensure that no examiner is able to identify the candidate or school they are marking to enhance security and credibility of the marking of process. After marking, there is checking and counter-checking by assistant chief examiners and team leaders guided by the chief examiner for each paper to ensure accuracy in marking and allocation of marks. Once the accuracy is ascertained, subject marks are entered into mark sheets and submitted to the council for further processing. Subject grades are determined - that is where the issue is - at the marking centres by examiners and supervisors. That means that nobody else can assign subject grades to a candidate. The chief examiner then presents that to the awards committee in the council, who include the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE), the Director of Quality Assurance and Standards and, sometimes, representatives from examination bodies in the region for bench-marking purposes. It is also important for hon. Members to know that all papers are marked independently by decent examiners housed in different marking centres across the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, given what I have explained, the calculation of the mean grades does not affect any of the candidate's marks or subject grades. Having clarified the issue of marking and subject grades, I wish now to refer to the 2007 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results released on Thursday 28th February, 2008, which included the candidates' subject grades and mean grades, as well as orders of merit of candidates and schools. After the release, a mean grade computation error was detected by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) staff as they were validating the results, immediately after the release. The following day Kabarak High School and Lenana High School informed KNEC that they had detected that the mean grades for some of their candidates had been erroneously upgraded. The schools noted that error because candidates and schools are able to compute the mean grades from the subject grades. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the mean grade is computed by converting the subject letter grades to numerical points that are assigned from grade E to A, with grade E being assigned one numerical point and A being assigned 12 numerical points. Thus, the 12-letter grades are converted into numerical points for each subject from which the mean grade is calculated. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform hon. Members that the computer calculates the mean score based on the best-performed seven subjects for each candidate that meets the awards criteria as specified in the KCSE awards regulations. A candidate who scores seven As in seven subjects earns 84 marks or points which, when divided by seven, works out to be 12 points or a mean grade of A. Mr. Speaker, Sir, arising from this information that I have given above, the mean grade is calculated on the best of the seven performed subjects done by the candidate. In this case, when calculating the mean score, decimal points arise. It is common practice that decimal points between 0.1 to 0.44 are rounded down to the lower figure, while decimal points above five are rounded up to the next higher figure. Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to use an example to illustrate that. In Moi Girls High School, Eldoret, Candidate 004 had a total aggregate score of 79 points, based on her seven subjects which, when divided by seven, gives 11.29 points. That was wrongly rounded up to 12 points and the candidate wrongly awarded a mean grade of A plain. That was supposed to have been rounded down to 11, translating to a mean grade of A minus. In the same school, Candidate 034 had the 368 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 25, 2008 same total aggregate numerical score of 79 points and the rounding was accurately done from 11.29 to 11, and the candidate awarded the correct mean grade of A minus. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important for me to point out to hon. Members that it is incumbent upon KNEC, the schools and candidates to uphold the principles of integrity, honesty and credibility of examinations. In this case, it is quite clear that the computer produced an error which required the correct rounding up to be done. That error, unfortunately, reduced the mean grade of candidates to the correct level. That has created anxiety, anger and disappointment among the candidates, parents and schools. I regret that, that error occurred. Otherwise, the matter would not have arisen. Indeed, that being the situation, I want to take the earliest opportunity to thank those schools that realised the error and, immediately, contacted KNEC. That has contributed immensely in sustaining the element of honesty and integrity---"
}