Good News for Parents Across the Country as the Government Bans This Practice in Schools

The Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its ban on the purchase and administration of commercial examinations in schools, warning that the practice remains illegal and places an unnecessary financial burden on parents.

In a recent directive, school heads were reminded that all pre-primary, primary and junior schools must stop buying external commercial examinations. 

The ministry said such exams interfere with effective classroom learning and often lead to extra charges that are not approved. Instead, schools have been instructed to fully embrace Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA), where teachers continuously evaluate learners during normal lessons.

According to the ministry, the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system is designed to assess learners through regular classroom activities rather than relying on commercial tests prepared by private firms. 

Officials believe this approach allows teachers to identify learners' strengths and areas that need improvement while reducing pressure associated with frequent external examinations.

The directive also instructs school administrators to ensure all teachers understand and implement the policy. County and Sub-County education officials have been asked to monitor compliance and take action against institutions that continue to ignore the ban.

The move is expected to provide financial relief to many parents who have complained about paying for multiple commercial examinations every school term. 

Education stakeholders have also welcomed the reminder, saying it will help schools focus on quality teaching instead of ranking learners through privately prepared tests.

The latest Facebook post discussing the ministry's directive has attracted widespread attention, with many Kenyans supporting the decision to eliminate unnecessary exam costs. 

Others have urged education officials to enforce the directive uniformly across the country to ensure all schools follow the same standards.

As schools continue implementing the Competency-Based Education system, the Ministry of Education says classroom-based assessment remains the only approved method for monitoring learners' academic progress in the affected levels of education.