Two candidates sitting the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) in Bomet County experienced an unexpected turn of events on Tuesday, October 27, after going into labour while the national examinations were underway.
The candidates, from Maraketit and Chemelet Comprehensive Schools, delivered their babies at Sigor Subcounty Hospital and Kenyakoro Health Centre, respectively.
Both Candidates Stable
Bomet County Director of Education Leonard Ngugi confirmed the incidents, saying both candidates were stable and arrangements had been made to ensure they continued sitting their examinations.
“All is well as far as the examinations are concerned, and there is no hitch. We only have two cases of two female candidates who developed labour pain and had to sit their exams at the maternity,” Ngugi said.
He explained that the candidates were from schools in Chepalungu and Konoin subcounties, adding that examination officials had made the necessary arrangements to allow them to complete their papers.
“We made the arrangements and have sent our supervisor and security to the maternity,” he said.
Exams Proceeded as Usual
Ngugi added that stringent measures had been put in place to ensure the national examinations proceeded smoothly despite the unusual circumstances.
The two cases drew attention to the challenges that can arise when candidates sitting national examinations experience emergencies, with education officials working to ensure that the affected learners were not disadvantaged.
Meanwhile, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) executive secretary in Bomet, Desmond Langat, urged parents and the wider community to provide candidates with a peaceful and supportive environment throughout the examination period.
Langat emphasised the importance of allowing learners to concentrate on their assessments during the crucial period.
How many candidates are sitting national examinations?
A total of 104,407 candidates are sitting the national examinations in Bomet, and the wider examination cohort reported in the figures provided comprises 78,818 candidates taking the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and 25,589 sitting the KJSEA.
The examinations are being administered across 865 KPSEA centres and 592 KJSEA centres.
The education officials said measures had been put in place to ensure the examinations proceeded without disruption, while the two candidates in Bomet were expected to continue with their remaining papers under the special arrangements made for them.
