The national examiner has started recruiting an additional 4,200 test markers ahead of the 2021 national exams next year.

This comes even though it turned out that most of the trained markers did not show up for exam marking in April and May of this year, complaining about low pay and poor working conditions.

Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Chief Executive Officer David Njeng’ere said in an announcement yesterday that the board will train examiners for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) tests ).

The training will take place from October 3 to 9, 2021.

“The training slots are limited and only qualified teachers who have uploaded all the required documents will be shortlisted for the exercise,” said Dr Njeng’ere.

Qualified teachers have until September 5 to apply and will have to pay Sh 10,500 for training.

For the KCPE exams, the Knec has advertised 700 positions for primary teachers who wish to train as examiners in English composition (901/1) and Kiswahili insha (902/1).

For the KCSE tests, the Knec has launched 3500 positions for secondary school teachers who wish to train as examiners in English 101/1 and 2, Kiswahili 102/1 and 2, Biology 231 / 1,2 and 3, Chemistry 233/2 and 3, History and Government 311/1 and 2, Christian Religious Education 313/1 and 2 and Agriculture 443/1 and 2.

According to Knec, applicants must be practicing teachers in the subjects they wish to grade and must be registered and employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Candidate examiners must also have at least three years of teaching experience and be aged 50 and under.

KCPE markers must have a P1 certificate and a minimum of C plain in their KCSE level while their KCSE counterparts must have a degree in education and above.

“Teachers who have already completed examiner training and are listed in the Knec examiner database do not need to apply for the training,” said Dr Njeng’ere.

The number of examiners has declined over the years, some leaving the teaching service through natural attrition while others have retired.

The teachers also asked for better payments.

During the April / May national reviews, the KCSE and KCPE complained about delayed and installment payments. The Knec finally released the payments in early August.

Already, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet) has called for the establishment of remuneration policies to improve the remuneration of examiners.

Kuppet wants the TSC to develop policies guiding the use of teachers by other government agencies.

The KCPE and KCSE 2021 exams will take place between March and April of next year