Inclusivity Takes Centre Stage as KPSEA and KJSEA Commence
Education Updated: 27 October 2025 13:16 EAT
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The 2025 national examination season officially took a significant step today with the commencement of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the inaugural Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
This year's assessments are strongly defined by the push for inclusivity under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has confirmed special provisions, including the assessment of Deaf learners in Kenyan Sign Language, ensuring a more equitable evaluation for all candidates.
Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, underscored that the CBE system is designed to fundamentally change the national examination culture.
The curriculum emphasizes the development of creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning, actively moving away from the high-pressure, memory-based testing of the past. KNEC’s approach ensures that the assessment measures what a learner can practically do with their knowledge, rather than their ability to recall facts under stressful conditions.
This shift, as highlighted by KNEC on its website, extends deeply into how learners with disabilities are evaluated.
KNEC’s assessment model for learners with disabilities is divided into two distinct routes. Students with mild physical, hearing, and visual disabilities will follow the age-based pathway, which aligns with the standard curriculum.
However, students with severe intellectual disabilities are assessed through the stage-based pathway. This route is divided into four stages, with the learner’s entry point, the foundational level, determined by the severity of their disability.
Unlike the traditional system, where assessments adhere to a fixed timetable, KNEC assesses stage-based learners when they are deemed ready, focusing entirely on performance-based evaluation.
There are no written examinations for this group; instead, teachers use scoring guides to grade the students’ performance based on direct observation.
This personalized approach reflects that the stage-based learner progresses at their own pace based on acquired skills.
Tags: Deaf Editor's Pick KJSEA KNEC Kpsea Julius Bitok Julius Ogamba Ministry Of Education Pwds
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Selestine Nyongesa
Experienced and versatile writer, dedicated to using my exceptional writing and editing skills to inform and advocate. My work focuses on educating and entertaining readers on a range of topics, with a particular expertise in matters of disability.