Azimio leader Raila Odinga is pushing for an education stakeholders meeting aimed at addressing the integrity of Kenyan exams and the certification that accrues from it.
The opposition leader, who disclosed that he has written a letter to key stakeholders in the sector, said it was unfortunate that the credibility of the recently released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams has been put into question, noting that this does not augur well for the country.
According to Raila who described the matter as of greatest national importance, coming together is crucial to steadying the education system which he maintains shapes the direction and future of the country.
“It is our position that the stakeholders come together, headed by the Catholic Church, or any other group that stakeholders can agree on and get to the bottom of the mess building up in our exam management,” he said
“We believe that devaluing the integrity of our exams and certificates presents an existential threat to our country, and we have to close ranks and deal with it dispassionately and professionally,” charged the former Prime Minister
Odinga says failure to address integrity issues that emerged from the recently-released examinations will subject Kenya’s children to ridicule, diminished employment especially overseas, and admission opportunities in the region and abroad.
Some of the institutions Raila has written to include; the Catholic Bishops Conference, the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, the Primary School Head Teachers Association, the Kenya National Union of Teachers, the Law Society of Kenya, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, the National Parents Association and the Kenya Private Schools Association.
Raila and his team have also invited the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Federation of Kenya Employers to the talks.
He said churches and other religious organizations will play a crucial role in the talks given that they have been deeply involved in the education sector since the beginning of the last century.
“The education sector does not belong to the government of the day. The integrity of the education sector is for all Kenyans. We believe that as a country, and for the sake of our children, we can do better than this greed beyond measure,” he said
The opposition leader says there must be no room for favoritism in the conduct and marking of exams, reiterating that “sanity, integrity, and dignity must return to exams,”
