In 2005, I asked in this column whether the Kenyan National Examinations Council knew how to spell U-N-F-O-R-G-I-V-A-B-L-E. No-one took the hint. The Council was forgiven its sins, and it proceeded to keep on sinning.
What happened in 2005? The students who were sitting the KCSE Mathematics paper that year were subjected to something unforgivable. Two tables were in the wrong places in the paper; a third was missing altogether.
A minor matter? Not at all. I wrote then: “Most of us have sat through public examinations at some stage in our lives; most of us remember the stress and tension that accompanies those events. It is surely bad enough that a child has to sit and prove herself to the world in the space of just two or three hours, knowing that a second chance may never come and that failure could lead to a blighted life; but to have to deal with all that, and cope with blundering nincompoops who fail to check the paper?”
I pleaded that we all learn two lessons: the first about accuracy and quality control; the second about reputation and crisis management. It is evident that KNEC learnt neither. The 2006 and 2007 examinations were tainted by widespread allegations of paper leakage. The most recent story you all know: 4,000-plus students who sat the 2007 exams have had to have their mean marks recalled after a “computer error”, leading to a “correction”of national tallies that has resulted in significant changes to student and school rankings.
No-one in any serious position of authority resigned or was fired after the 2005, 2006 and 2007 fiascos. In 2005, KNEC blamed the printers. In 2006, it was the media’s fault. In 2007, a new culprit has been found: the computer! These are excuses that would shame an illiterate, let alone the high-powered eminences who oversee education in the country.
And so we will carry on. There will be outrages every year, as sure as night follows day. For we remain unwilling to take our duties seriously, and to take responsibility for our mistakes. When a debacle occurs, we usually observe the following sequence of events: the people in charge will first claim that there is no crisis at all, that the matter is “inconsequential” (to quote from a recent utterance); next, when the consequentiality of the matter is confirmed, officials will rush to blame “political enemies” for their tribulations.
When that is found to be not credible, the media will emerge as a convenient scapegoat, for exaggerating “a small matter”. When the matter is confirmed not to be small at all, the blame will go to technology: printers, computers, whatever. When the world laughs at that, a couple of frightened junior officers will be unearthed and fingered. Even those unfortunates will not be fired; they will be transferred quietly until the furore dies down.
No one, absolutely no one, will do the honourable thing and resign. Whether we are discussing the Examinations Council, the Electoral Commission of Kenya or other important body, outright incompetents will hang shamelessly onto their seats and their allowances until death do them part.
People in charge of bodies that concern public examinations or national elections have only one real asset: their credibility. If credibility goes, there is nothing else. It does not matter a damn how many important personages sit in the institution. Once your reputation is shot, it’s all over.
Can we please learn how to handle crises and manage reputation? Here’s what should be done. First, you accept that your negligence has caused panic and confusion in a matter of national importance. You accept that your actions may affect the lives and livelihoods of many. With that acceptance, you apologise with sincerity and contrition to all those affected. You do not just express regret - you say sorry. You make sure that someone who matters takes responsibility and resigns with dignity, without waiting to be pushed. Then you say what you will do to alleviate the damage you have done. Finally, you use the unfortunate event to overhaul your processes from scratch, and ensure that you take your institution to a new level.
Here, we are following a different template of late: wait until the pressure builds up to boiling point, and then name of a commission of inquiry! And indeed, one has duly been constituted to investigate the 2007 exam results snafu. Fifteen luminaries, properly balanced to take account of ethnicity, religion, age, sex and political affiliation have been asked to sit down and report on the matter. Complete with allowances and perks, no doubt.
The old question springs to mind: how many people does it take to change a lightbulb? What are fifteen people needed for? It would take one competent person one day to conclude on this matter. That is all. But no, we do things our way. See you next year, same time, same issue…
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4 Responses:
April 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
This issue can be seen from the broader leadership crisis we have in our nation. It’s just reflective of the iceberg principle. What we see is the tip of the iceberg and beneath it are many issues that need to be adjusted in order to have the responsible leadership and citizenry. Our present ‘Kenyan culture’ has failed us and unless there is a pradigm shift we can not be the successful country that we yearn to be.
If you listen to many Kenyans, they have this belief that Kenya will eventually be alright and we will be this leading light in Africa. How that will happen i guess is supposed to be a miracle. Others have totally resigned to the fact that things will never change and you can feel a sense of hopelessness.
Building a nation or any organisation for that matter requires a deliberate and conscious effort. It’s like building a house - you dont wake up one morning and find a house that has accidentally built itself and erected a roof. It requires diligent skill and planning.
We need to ask ourselves the following:
- What should our nation look like - the end state; What’s our vision for a successful Kenya?
- What are our nation’s core values?
- Is our education system aligned with the country’s vision and the global context we are operating in? How is it preparing our leaders and citizenry to play their respective roles? Henry Peter Brougham observed that ‘education makes a people easy to lead but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.’
As individuals within the Kenyan society we also have a significant role in our national development. Any meaningful change starts from the human heart and change of behaviour at an individual level. We need to ask ourselves the following:
-How do I approach my work? Do I put my best into it or is there alot of slack and lack of committment? Do I engage in unethical practices and how do I serve my fellow human beings? Do i do it with dignity?
- Do we look beyond self for the sake of advancing the wider community?
- Are we committed to building the nation on clearly defined core values.
- We should have a longterm view and endeavour to impact future generations.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:04 am
And if not ONE commission in our history has had its findings acted upon, why on earth do we keep forming them?
March 31st, 2008 at 7:51 am
To add to Bindra’s observations, let me add that the Kenyan is a euphoric person…..in that we all get excited about an event for a short time then have it die its own death. we spend so much excitement over an issue then do nothing or have nothing done to mitigate against it. Recall all the outcries when a load of foetuses were found discarded on a highways? What happened thereafter…..nothing to solve the problem of abortion. recall the smoking ban, the alcohol blow thingy, the ever risks of road accidents? endless list. Its kenyan phenomena Mr Sunny… We have not been incalcuted skills in advocacy, integrity and civil social justice.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Bindra’s article, “what does it take for a Kenyan leader to resign” was spot on. I can’t remember ever seeing a Kenyan leader resign. They all deny, trivialize, point accusing fingers on others - READ: political opponents. Is it unnecessary pride, arrogance or don’t-care-attitude? Our leaders should grow up and stand for rights and principles!