All Kenyan students take national exams when they finish primary school (the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE) and secondary school (the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education, KCSE).

The national exams are developed and administered by the Kenya National Examination Council. These exams are not currently altered for deaf students, though this is being planned for the future. Deaf students are now given an extra 30 minutes to finish their exams.

The majority of assessment focuses on the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam. Examinable subjects include English, Maths, Swahili, Science, and GHC/CRE. This exam occurs at the end of standard eight. Students must score a C- to pass the exam and most secondary schools accept students who have scored a C+ or higher. Many deaf students have great difficulty in passing the KCPE.

In 2005, the Ministry called the performance of deaf schools "dismal." A 2004 report noted that deaf students perform less well than the "physically challenged and those who are visually impaired."

The 2005 report showed deaf students performed best in Mathematics and English and worst in Swahili. The analysis concluded that students poor performance was tied to many challenges, including the following three:

1) Inadequate internal and external curriculum supervision and quality advice. Some of the schools have not been inspected for many years.

2) Unstable curriculum and examinations being offered to those with hearing impairment.

3) Lack of adequate skills and knowledge among some teachers in schools for the deaf in handling these learners successfully.

The report issued the following three recommendations:

1) There is need to intensify internal and external curriculum supervision and quality advice by school administrations and external quality assurance and standards officers from the district, provincial and national officers.

2) The current curriculum, which has not been adapted, is unsuitable for deaf learners. There is need to adapt examinations since adaptations going on at KIE will take time before completion.

3) There is urgent need for in-service courses to be organized for teachers in these schools on methodology and effective communication with the deaf.

2005 KCPE Results Analysis for Schools for the Deaf         

References:

"Schools for the Deaf 2005 KCPE Results Analysis," Directorate of Quality Assurance & Standards. Kenya Ministry of Education, Science and Technology: 2005.

"Schools for the Deaf 2004 KCPE Results Analysis and Recommendations for Adaption of Examination Questions for the Deaf Candidates in KCPE 2005," Directorate of Quality Assurance & Standards. Kenya Ministry of Education, Science and Technology: 2004.