The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced that it will prepare special Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations for eight players from the Under-17 women’s football team, the Junior Starlets.
KNEC CEO David Njeng’ere in a letter to the Ministry of Sports announced the decision following a request from the latter to grant 8 players who are among the students expected to sit for national exams in the next two months, to be offered special examination.
“The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is in receipt of your letters referenced SDSD 9/3 VOL. III dated 29th July 2024 and 7th August 2024 on the above matter. Congratulations to the Kenya U-17 National Women’s Team for an incredible achievement. This is the first time a Kenyan football team is qualifying to participate at the highest football arena in the World,” read part of the statement.
KNEC’s decision comes in light of the World Cup fixtures where Kenya’s Junior Starlets will compete in the Dominican Republic from October 10th to November 3rd, 2024.
The timing of the World Cup matches overlaps with the 2024 KCSE exams, which are scheduled to begin on November 4th, with some practical and oral components starting earlier on October 22nd.
Understanding the challenges faced by the players, KNEC has outlined a plan to ensure that the affected students can participate in both their examinations and their World Cup matches without compromising either commitment.
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KNEC to Offer Special KCSE Exams to Junior Starlets Players
The special arrangement according to the examination body will involve liaising with the center managers of the players’ respective schools to accommodate their examination schedules around the World Cup fixtures.
“Due to the nature of the examination, the Council is committed to uphold the principle of fairness ensuring that all the candidates are subjected to near uniform conditions when taking the examination in adherence to globally accepted assessment standards,” the statement adds.
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KNEC further highlighted that its policy for handling such hardship cases will ensure that these students can complete their exams as soon as they return from the tournament.
Importantly, the statement also clarified that there will be no national assessment for Grade 8 learners in October 2024, and thus the ninth player and grade 8 learner in the team is not affected by the world cup schedule.
This proactive approach by KNEC is supported by various stakeholders, including nominated Member of Parliament Irene Mayaka, who played a crucial role in bringing this issue to the attention of the government.
In addition, the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sports was instrumental in reaching this solution. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF), led by Nick Mwendwa, has also been actively involved in facilitating the arrangements for the team.
The Junior Starlets are set to face strong competition in Group C, with teams such as Korea, Mexico, and England. Coach Mildred Cheche has noted that the team is intensifying their training in preparation for the challenging matches ahead.
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