Has Kenya’s Ministry of Education announced that pupils will have to repeat the final year of high school in 2021?
What seems to be a screenshot of a TV broadcast showing education minister George Magoha started circulating on Facebook in early April 2020.
Text on the screen reads: “BREAKING NEWS. FORM FOURS TO REPEAT IN 2021.” One user commented: “I love thiz.”
On 15 March, Kenyan schools were shut down indefinitely as part of the country’s measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The screenshot doesn’t show the name of any TV channel.
In a reverse image search, Africa Check found the original photo of Magoha in a year-old article on a local news website. It was also published on a Kenyan news site on 8 March 2018.
We discovered that the screenshot was created using an Android app called Break Your Own News.
There are reports that the Kenya National Examination Council is considering the postponement of form four exams, which mark the transition from high school to post-secondary education.
The council had already put out the exam timetable with projects in subjects such as agriculture, computer studies, art and design, woodwork, metalwork, and building and construction, scheduled to run from January to July 2020. The main exam is set to begin in October 2020.
The exams council postponed some exams for colleges and has reportedly asked high school headteachers to await further instructions on this year’s form four exams.
Depending on how long the Covid-19 crisis lasts, it is possible that the students may have to wait until later to sit exams. But only the exams council can make that decision – and the decision hasn’t been made yet. – Dancan Bwire
What seems to be a screenshot of a TV broadcast showing education minister George Magoha started circulating on Facebook in early April 2020.
Text on the screen reads: “BREAKING NEWS. FORM FOURS TO REPEAT IN 2021.” One user commented: “I love thiz.”
On 15 March, Kenyan schools were shut down indefinitely as part of the country’s measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
‘Break Your Own News’ app
The screenshot doesn’t show the name of any TV channel.
In a reverse image search, Africa Check found the original photo of Magoha in a year-old article on a local news website. It was also published on a Kenyan news site on 8 March 2018.
We discovered that the screenshot was created using an Android app called Break Your Own News.
Exams body mulling postponement
There are reports that the Kenya National Examination Council is considering the postponement of form four exams, which mark the transition from high school to post-secondary education.
The council had already put out the exam timetable with projects in subjects such as agriculture, computer studies, art and design, woodwork, metalwork, and building and construction, scheduled to run from January to July 2020. The main exam is set to begin in October 2020.
The exams council postponed some exams for colleges and has reportedly asked high school headteachers to await further instructions on this year’s form four exams.
Depending on how long the Covid-19 crisis lasts, it is possible that the students may have to wait until later to sit exams. But only the exams council can make that decision – and the decision hasn’t been made yet. – Dancan Bwire
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