KCPE Examinations kick off in Dadaab Camps
“Amidst all manner of unprecedented challenges, students in Dadaab have exhibited resilience and have prepared well for this year’s exams.”
Female candidates from Horseed Primary School in Ifo Refugee Camp, Dadaab, pose with their equipment after their Mathematics examination on 31 October 2017. UNHCR/B.Rono
More than 3,400 children in over 30 primary schools in Dadaab Refugee Camp are sitting Kenya’s national primary school examination that started on October 31, 2017.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam will be taken by students in all the four different camps that make up Dadaab; Dagahaley, Ifo, Ifo 2 and Hagadera. The exams will be held over 3 days.
The first subjects to be tested will be Mathematics and English, followed by Science and Kiswahili. On the third day students will sit for Social Studies and Religious Education. There are more than 1 million students sitting for these exams nationwide.
“Students in Dadaab have exhibited resilience.”
“Our teachers have prepared us well and we are confident we will excel. We also wish other candidates all over Kenya the very best in the exams,” says Ahmed Ali, a 19 year old candidate from Juba Primary School in Dagahaley camp.
Many refugees had had their education disrupted, some are well over ordinary primary school age in Kenya. But are still determined.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and education partners, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Islamic Relief Kenya and Care International, continually take teachers through in-service training to improve their skills, and ensure provision of sanitary materials to support the school attendance of girls. There’s also distribution of solar lamps to assist learners with night study and act as protection especially for female learners.
To support dedicated school children, UNHCR distributed more than 12,000 solar lamps in 48 schools in Dadaab. We prioritized young girls who often have less time to study due to their long list of household chores. UNHCR/A.Nasrullah
Female candidates from Horseed Primary School in Ifo Refugee Camp, Dadaab, pose with their equipment after their Mathematics examination on 31 October 2017. Most want to be doctors, engineers and pilots. UNHCR/B.Rono
Candidates of Horseed Primary School in Ifo Refugee Camp, Dadaab, take a break after their mathematics examination on 31 October 2017. UNHCR/B.Rono
Candidates at Horseed Primary School in Ifo Refugee Camp, Dadaab, await the collection of their examination scripts at the end of the period allocated for Mathematics examination on 31 October 2017. UNHCR/B.Rono
A Kenya National Examination (KNEC) invigilator collects examination scripts from candidates of Horseed Primary School, Dadaab, at the end of the Mathematics examination on 31 October 2017. UNHCR/B.Rono
Eleven-year-old Zamzam, a Somali refugee, studies at Umoja primary school in Hagadera camp, one of the oldest camps in Dadaab complex. She was born in Dadaab but her dream is to become a doctor and one day serve in her country, Somalia. UNHCR/A.Nasrullah
The school meal programme by UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) also ensures that learners are able to attend school more regularly, as they are provided with hot meals.
“Efforts to improve educational services have worked. Over time, the pupil text book ratio has come down and is now at 1:5 although the standard rate is 1:3. We are grateful to the support from our donors and continue to appeal for additional assistance,” says Cedric Anjiji, UNHCR Education Associate.
“Amidst all manner of unprecedented challenges, students in Dadaab have exhibited resilience and have prepared well for this year’s exams. We are optimistic they will post good results,” he adds.
“This has been a difficult year for learners in Dadaab especially with the flooding that devastated schools and homes early in the year. Despite all the challenges, our children have worked extremely hard and we believe they will do well,” says Geoffrey Shikuku, LWF Senior Education Officer.
Students will have to get 200 marks out of a possible 500 to pass the exams.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, started in 1985 when the 8-4-4 curriculum was introduced in Kenya. The 8-4-4 curriculum means that learners will go through 8 years of primary education, followed by 4 years of secondary education and approximately 4 years at university. The examination is administered by the Kenya National Examinations Council, under the country’s Ministry of Education.