KENYA TECHNICAL TRAINERS COLLEGE

ED4003-PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT 2 ON: THE IMPACT OF OVER EMPHASIS ON
EXAMINATIONS TO THE KENYA SOCIETY AND WAYS IN WHICH IT
CAN BE ADDRESSED
2020ED142389
PURITY JEPKEMOI KANGOGO
2020EDADDIPICS1A

The system of education, type of curriculum and implementation processes determines the
quality of education in any nation. In Kenya, determination of system of education and type of
curriculum to be used in schools is the sole responsibility of national government.
The Kenyan society attaches a lot of value to examinations. The key strategy is administration of
many more formative examinations as a way of gauging whether learners have acquired relevant
skills and techniques to face national examinations as opposed to holistic development of the
learner. Learners are grilled on examination oriented-content as opposed to general teaching of
curriculum. There are mid-term tests, end of term tests and end of year tests which are used as
bench marks to promote learners to the next class. If a learner does not excel in these formative
examinations, he/she is forced to repeat the class in total disregard of existing government
policies that prohibit students from forced repetition.
This is witnessed by over-emphasis of mean score which is used as a measure to rank the
academic performance of schools. Teachers have been always under pressure from school
administration and parents to ensure students pass their examinations. Any student who does not
attain set mean score is regarded as a failure. This has placed teachers between rock and hard
surface to teach on test content as opposed to curriculum coverage thus negatively affecting
quality of education. As a result of high expectations from teachers and parents, the motivational
level of the students is negatively affected.
Other aspects like social, emotional, physical, etc., seem to have been ignored despite their
contributions to the totality of development. This has led to the production of pseudo-students
who are unable to fit in the modern job market as well as social spheres.
A study conducted by Schmitz, R. in 2011 reveal that exam-oriented model leads to students
losing their imaginations and creativities. This is as a result of teachers resorting to convectional
approaches at the expense of quality education.
Learners are over-burdened with homework on a daily basis. This leads to memorization of
work. Pupils end up in reciting knowledge.
In order for pupils to pass examinations, the phenomenon of cheating has cropped up. The
culture of cheating has taken root due to the high competition for slots in the national schools
and also excelling as the best schools.
The exam-oriented model also led to inefficiency in education, repetition. The same things are
taught to the learners over and over again. The exam-oriented model has negatively influenced
critical thinking which is the main aim of education.
In addition, parents pay tuition for the formal education of their children at school. This then
suggests that the children have no support from their parents to participate in the co-curricular
and extra-curricular activities.
Some administrators have been even gone to an extent of discouraging these activities by using
various tactics such as lack of money to fund the trips, lack of funds to buy equipment and
facilities, discouraging senior students and low achievers from participating in these activities
among other practices. Sometimes, the head teachers have been at conflict with the game’s
teachers on the issue of sports. Suicide cases have been reported in Kenya resulting from a
failure to passing examinations
On the positive note, assessment help learners to focus their learning. According to Gordon and
Reese(1997), teachers can teach candidates to pass virtually any kind of test, even those
intending to assess higher cognitive abilities while at the same time impacting negatively on the
notion that those teaching to well-designed tests can positively influence teaching .
( yen,2001).proponents of these systems laying emphasis on examinations would argue that with
the right kinds of tests and testing procedures, then the practices of preparing tests will lead to
developing skills that the test is supposed to measure effectively.
There are role models of very successful people who have prospered in these co-curricular and
extra-curricular activities. Though the government of Kenya have been advocating for student’s
participation in these activities through various policies, there is little evidence that someone is
concerned with what is currently happening in our secondary school.
WAYS IN WHICH THESE CAN BE ADDRESSED
 The ministry of education should formulate policies and approaches that address the co-
curricular and extra-curricular activities in our learning institutions. This should be
monitored through the county offices and sub-counties headquarters to ensure
implementation.
  The Kenya national examination council (KNEC) in conjunction with other agencies
should revise the curriculum syllabuses and ensure that there are various examinations
standard.
 Administration of examinations and provision of feedback should be guided by the
learner’s needs and interests so as to avoid the demotivation aspect in the learner.
 Head of learning institutions need to provide time and space for co-curricular activities
and this should be sensitized to all relevant stakeholders.
 Since the examinations-oriented model cause psychological torture to pupils, learner-
centered approaches should be embraced in order to assist weak pupils to walk alongside
their colleagues.
 Exam oriented model leads to inefficiencies in education. These inefficiencies have
influenced repetition, completion, dropout and transition rates of learners. In order to
control in-efficiency malpractices in learning institutions, it is recommended that there
should be a pattern shift in addressing educational issues.
 Examinations are aimed at selecting a few individuals for slots set aside in institutions of
excellence or acquisition of employment posts. It is therefore recommended that there
should be a shift from perceiving examinations as promotional measures to that of
learning achievement.
References
Adeyemi, B. (2008). "Effects of cooperative learning and problem-solving strategies on junior
secondary school students' achievement in social studies". Journal of Research in Education
Psychology, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 691-708.
Ahmad, F. & Aziz, J. (2009). "Students' perceptions of the teachers' teaching of literature
communicating and understanding through the eyes of the audience". European Journal of
social sciences, Vol. 7, No. 3. Pp. 17-39.
Bauer E A (1992) NATD Survey of Testing Practices and Issues Educational Measurement.
Issues and Practice 11, 1, p 12. Bishop C D (1989) Presentation to the State Joint Legislative
Committee on Goals for Educational Excellence. Phoenix, Arizona (Nov 9).
Bondi L (1991) Choice and Diversity in School Education: comparing developments in the
United Kingdom and the USA Comparative Education 27, 2, 125-134.