The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) on Monday, May 9, gave a breakdown of subjects for Grade 6 exams set for December.
Speaking during Sema na Spox, KNEC Competency-Based Assessment Coordinator Ann Ngatia noted that the candidates will be tested in five subjects including Maths, English, Kiswahili, Integrated Sciences and Creative and Social Sciences.
Ngatia explained that Integrated and Creative Sciences will be an integration of various sub-subjects and that the five will be part of the Kenya Primary Education Assessment at the end of primary school.
“The exam will be a multiple-choice test covering the five papers. IS will see us combine science and technology and will cover Home Science, Agriculture, and Physical Health while CASS will combine Art and Craft, Music, Social Studies and religious education (CRE, IRE and HRE),” she noted.
The coordinator added that the primary school results will be determined by the school-based assessment, which is done every year in the upper primary classes and the five-subject summative national examination.
“We will have a 60 per cent of the score coming from SBA spread over Grade Four, Five and Six and 40 per cent from the summative report so that we do not rely on a one-time assessment to determine the potential of the learner,” Ngatia added.
Ngatia expounded that the school-based evaluation will be done in form of projects, practicals, portfolios and oral assessments to allow learners to demonstrate what they have learnt – this will be executed by the classroom teachers guided by KNEC.
On his part, Deputy Director for Secondary Education Lawrence Karundi noted that the Junior Secondary Schools will be domiciled in high schools. He also revealed that the Grade Seven to Eight students will be day scholars.
“When it comes to the issue of dormitories, especially with the junior secondary, our focus is that this should be a day school, not boarding.
“The transition will be in such a way that students join schools within where they are now, therefore, boarding may not be necessary,” Karundi stated
Deputy Director in the State Department for the Implementation of Curriculum Reforms, Ruth Mugambi added that the Grade Six candidates will be placed into Junior Secondary Schools based on their performance, subjects chosen and the ability to join the day schools.
“Placement will be determined by the performance of the learners in Grade Six report and the optional subjects that they will have chosen. The students will be informed which schools offer the subjects within their proximity based on guidelines from the ministry,” Mugambi added.
