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"id": 862203,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
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"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the orderly running of these institutions is very critical. With regards to the process of transition, we need to have a provision for the curriculum that helps children’s transition. Of late, I have heard very dangerous statements coming from the Ministry of Education. For example, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) saying that every child who sat for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) will go to Form One. What then is the purpose of examinations? There are some who may not qualify to go to Form One, and you have to help them to find another level to exploit their talents. However, when you say that you are going to do an examination, and regardless of your results, you will just move on, then what is the purpose of examinations? When you go to comparable jurisdictions – whether it is in the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and even the whole of the European Union (EU) – examinations grade children and students, and that is why you have lawyers, doctors and engineers. You cannot say that whether you get “E” or “D,” you must decide what you want. It then defeats the whole purpose of examinations. Therefore, these dangerous statements coming from the Ministry are very disheartening and worrying. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, now that we are talking about education, I want to join those who have condemned the militarization of examinations in this country. How can you go to an examination where children are sitting papers, for example, in civics and a President, Deputy President or a CS walks in? At the same time, helicopters are hovering all over the skies, distracting the children from sitting those very exams. This is an indictment of terrible failure in our management of public affairs; that when we get to examinations, the country comes to a standstill. It is like a war situation, because we have invisible examination thieves hovering everywhere, ready to do the mischief in our examination system. I am very worried about this because you did examinations in your early days and you never even saw a policeman in your school during your examination days. It was a somber day. The rest of non-examinable students were told to keep away and stay at home; in the examination room, there was just you and the invigilator. You are given your papers, you finish and go away. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, how do you allow children who are going to do an examination arrive at the examination centre only to find ten heavily armed men in dark glasses standing at the gate? The direction we are taking is wrong and dangerous. The Ministry of Education should be telling Kenyans how they are protecting the integrity of examinations by keeping away people who pilfer papers and sell them, instead of using crude force; the police and the Administration Police (APs). In fact, during examination time, criminals have been having a field day because all the law enforcement agencies are deployed to go and police examination centres while criminals are molesting people in the villages, slums and all manner of places. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want to bring better morals to our society. Better morals mean that it is the duty of parents to tell their children to go to school and work hard. And that there will be examinations at the end and they have to pass to go to the next level. It is not for a policeman to come and stand there with a Kalashnikov as they sit examinations. This must be stopped. I urge the President to find alternative ways of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}