They face various accusations in court and are uncertain about the future of their careers.

More than 20 schools are also on the radar to help candidates hack their way to success. Nation It also found that some schools notorious for this practice were under close surveillance and strict control.

The new blatant cheating methods emerged after the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) closed loopholes previously used to leak documents before official time.

On Friday, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Belio Kipsang denied allegations that the exams were leaked but admitted that some rogue teachers had altered the exam materials delivered to them.

“Exam leakage is when people are exposed to the exam a day or two before.

“What we are experiencing is early exposure where people take pictures when they receive the papers and distribute them to the school (to candidates),” Dr Kipsang said.

The PS on Thursday accused parents of mobilizing funds and using them to compromise officials involved in administering the exams. He added that the Ministry will submit a comprehensive report on the reported cases once the investigations are completed next Friday.

While announcing the 2023 KCSE results, Knec CEO David Njeng’ere said there were 4,113 candidates reportedly involved in irregularities. It was also learned that 120 contracted professionals were involved in the crime.

The Ministry of Education has stopped identifying certain areas as cheating hotspots to avoid stigmatizing candidates. There was also a reaction from the political leadership, which accused the ministry of “targeting” such regions.

Cheating in exams has developed into a complex syndicate involving school principals who are centre-masters, inspectors, exam invigilators, other teachers and non-teaching staff, with parents in the background. Security guards assigned to such centers are also paid to turn a blind eye.

A case in which eight teachers were arrested at Pala Masogo Secondary School in Homa Bay District, who were found photocopying chemistry exam papers, shows how the new methods work. According to reliable sources, more than 40 of the teachers arrested so far are in the Nyanza region.

“Contrary to popular belief that leaks largely occur online or externally, cheating has become a more complex internal issue within schools themselves.

“The main aim is to create an environment where candidates can carry unauthorized materials into the exam room, freely collude and openly help each other during the exam,” a source told the Nation.

A police source monitoring the exams told Ulus that some of the teachers they arrested were pretending to be secretaries, scholars and even security guards as they were not allowed to enter the school campus during the exam period.

“When they open the exam packages, the examiners either take photographs or photocopy them. These are mostly given to subject teachers appointed by the boards of directors, who solve the answers quickly and then return to the examination room,” the source said.

Knec has deployed its own staff to oversee the administration of the exams, but things are difficult on the ground. In one case, authorities forced candidates to deflate their car tires at a school in Nyamira County where they had gone to observe exams.

In other cases where collusion is involved, invigilators warn candidates to withhold unauthorized materials when outside observers visit. They are also told not to engage in suspicious behavior.

“Most of the cheating happens in the afternoon papers because senior government officials only monitor the morning papers. Once the center administrators choose the afternoon papers, they have two hours with the materials to do whatever they want before the exam starts at 2pm,” another source told the Nation.

Double collection was introduced last year to reduce cases of early exposure. Auditors and supervisors are also assigned on a rotating basis after staying at the school for a week to avoid getting to know the school administration.

To prevent cheating, Knec has personalized question papers with unique security features. When they take images of their exam papers, they can forensically identify the identity and school of the candidate whose paper was photographed.

It is then possible to identify the center manager and other examiners present on a particular day. Since the Commission is the employer, this is the information that Knec forwards to TSC for disciplinary action.

Nation It was stated that some names have been submitted before, but the exact number will be announced at the end of the review period.

According to multiple sources, teachers’ involvement in cheating is fueled by pressure from parents to get good grades as well as promotion by the Teacher Service Commission (TSC).

Although students’ performance in national examinations is not the sole consideration for promotion, it carries weight in improving the teacher’s chances.

At the annual principals’ conference in June, school administrators called for administrative and policy changes regarding promotions and for TSC to stop reprimanding principals if their schools are performing poorly.

“There should be a change in promotion criteria to focus on holistic student development. Political interference must end; “Protect exams from political agenda,” reads one of the resolutions.

Parents have also been accused of offering monetary rewards to teachers based on their grades, which has been cited as motivation for cheating. They also put pressure on teachers whose schools fail to perform well in national exams.

Earlier this year, parents raided some schools to evict headteachers following what they perceived as poor performance in the 2023 KCSE exams. The transfer of all teachers from one school and leaving the students unsupervised caused a dispute between the Ministry of Education and TSC.