The Ministry of Education MoE through the Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has finally spoken on new placement exam for grade 8 current learners transitioning to grade 9 in 2025.
Through the official update channels, the Education Ministry has dismissed such claims that it had been directed to develop the Kenya Primary Placement Exam, an assessment expected to unveil a new criterion for placing learners to grade 9.
As per to the reports which currently the ministry has considered them fake, indicate that the new examination was to be rolled out by November this year, 2024.
Clearing the air on this, Education Ministry has maintained that nothing has changed and the status quo in the current compressive schools would remain.
In addition, the fake circular further claimed that the government was working towards shifting Grade 9 , currently under the competency-based curriculum to senior secondary schools .
New changes mentioned above were expected to affect Junior Secondary School teachers, who are at the moment stationed in primary schools and move them to high schools to handle grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
The circular further claimed that there is a survey that is currently to be considered in content areas for secondary school and colleges category, adding that this is as matter of urgency to avoid further curriculum distortion
The fake update further indicated that the current existing cluster of schools, which Include national, extra county, and county schools to ease the transition will ease transition after the exams above.
The ministry cleared air on the above fake update saying that it is working tirelessly to complete the CBC cycle to junior secondary schools.
The ministry has further insisted that no entry or placement exam for grade 8 to senior school this year.
Smooth transition as per to the MOE is well informed by the release of the 2023 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) results by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) which saw smooth transition of learners to grade 7.
KNEC has currently insisted that all headteachers and principals should ensure that students in their institutions have been registered for this year’s KPSEA tests.
March 29, 2024 is designated as the deadline for registrations of the above examinations.