KNEC Releases KCSE 2021 Agriculture Projects, KNEC Instructions To Candidates

KNEC Releases KCSE 2021 Agriculture Projects, KNEC Instructions To Candidates

The Kenya National Examination council, KNEC, has released instructions directing projects to be conducted by KCSE 2021 Agriculture 443/3 candidates.

Each school is required to choose one of the two projects proposed by KNEC. To choose a project, it is a requirement that the agriculture teacher, School Principal and candidates discuss the alternative projects and make a suitable choice appropriate for the school.

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To write their final project reports, the candidates must keep records of their project activities and observations.

The school should provide each candidate with adequate foolscaps on which to write the initial 1000-1,500-word project description and final project report.

The school should also give each candidate a declaration form which will make the cover page of the report and organize adequate security for the candidates’ projects.

The project chosen by the school treated as an examination, hence the candidate should not be aided. In addition, the scores awarded by the agriculture teacher must be objective and remain confidential.

The agriculture teacher should assess each candidate’s project from stage to stage using the marking scheme and time lines provided by KNEC and enter the marks in the individual candidate project assessment sheets. It is important that the marks are entered in the project assessment sheets immediately after each assessment.

All the project assessment sheets must be kept under lock and key in the School Principal’s office in a sealed envelope. They should be made available only to the agriculture teacher whenever the teacher is going to assess the project or an authorized KNEC agent. The sheets must be returned to the School Principal immediately after each assessment.

The School Principal should check to ensure that scores are entered on the assessment sheets after every assessment. In the absence of the School Principal, the Deputy School Principal should be in charge of the custody of the documents.

The candidate scores on the project, together with a pictorial evidence of the entire school project status will be electronically submitted to KNEC twice. Milestone I should be submitted by 15th October 2021 and milestone II by 31st January 2022.

The total score of each candidate should be transferred from the assessment sheet to the Manual Mark Sheet. In addition, the agriculture teacher should upload together with the scores in the KNEC portal, a photograph showing the project status for the entire class at the time the last assessment was done. The photograph should be in .gif or .jpeg format and should capture the school Principal, Agriculture teacher and candidates standing at their respective projects in full school uniform. This should be done following the time lines provided.

The index numbers of candidates should be entered in assessment sheets and manual mark sheets in ascending order ensuring that all candidates have the same Index Numbers as in the final examination.

The KNEC Portal will only be accessible for the uploading of scores from 15th September to 15th October 2021 for milestone I and 1st to 31st January 2022 for milestone II. The scores cannot be altered once uploaded.

The Agriculture Teacher should write a brief report about the center using the center report form provided by KNEC.

Schools have up to the end of January 2022 to complete the project implementation and assessment.

Once the project is completed, the School Principal must ensure that the Assessment Sheets and Manual Mark Sheet are duly filled, signed and stamped. All the candidates’ Agriculture Project Reports, Project Assessment Sheets, Manual Mark Sheets and Project Report Form for the center should be packed and forwarded to the Sub-County Director of Education within the first week of February 2022.

The Sub-County Director of Education will in turn foward all the documents to the Kenya  National Examinations Council.

PROJECT A: VEGETABLE CROP PRODUCTION  

1. Each school should select only one crop from the following:
2. a) Carrots (Daucus carota) e) Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) b) French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) f) Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) c) Tomatoes (Solanuma lycopersicum) g) Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) d) Bulb onions (Allium cepa) h) Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
3. The Project work should be carried out by the candidates in the Form IV class between 26th July 2021 and 31st January 2022.
4. The variety of crop should be suited to the ecological zone of the school.
5. The school should acquire seeds or seedlings to be able to provide them to the candidates at  the time of planting.
6. Each candidate should be allocated a space on which to carry out the project. Candidates are  not limited to the 4m x 3m plot. They are encouraged to use other innovative ways of  growing the selected crop. The candidates’ projects should be numbered according to the  candidates’ Index Numbers in ascending order.
7. After space allocation, candidates should be instructed to grow the selected crop up to  harvesting by applying appropriate agronomic and management practices.
8. The Agriculture Teacher should assess each candidate’s project using the marking scheme  provided by KNEC.
9. The Agriculture Teacher should then mark each candidate’s project report out of 20 marks  using the guidelines provided by KNEC. The marks for each candidate should be entered in  the appropriate column on the assessment sheet.
10. The total score of each candidate should then be transferred from the assessment sheet to the  manual mark sheet. Ensure that these scores are entered according to candidates’ index  numbers in ascending order.
11. The project should be concluded and handed over to the school by the end of January 2022.

PROJECT B: LIVESTOCK REARING 

1. Each school should select only one type of livestock from the following:

1. a) Chicken – (two per candidate)
2. b) Rabbits – (two per candidate)
3. c) Pigs – (one per candidate)
4. d) Goats/sheep – (one per candidate)
5. e) Calf – (one per candidate)
6. This project should be carried out from July 2021 and candidates should conclude it by  the end of January 2022, when they should hand over the project to the school. The  school should then make appropriate decision and arrangement on how best to rear the  livestock or dispose of them.
7. Schools choosing this project shall be required to provide each candidate with the  following facilities:

(a) Housing structures 

Each candidate should be provided with appropriate housing structure for the  class of livestock selected by 5th August 2021 latest. The housing structures  should be bought or made by the school. The dimensions of the housing structure  should be appropriate to the class of livestock selected. It is important to ensure  the following:

(i) Proper ventilation and lighting;

(ii) The roof should be waterproof if the housing structure is to be kept  outdoors;

(iii) The floor of the housing structure may be weld mesh, slatted timber,  earthen or concrete;

(iv) Housing structures may be singly or in several units attached horizontally.  The chicken/rabbit houses may be placed on top of each other up to a

maximum of three tiers;

(v) Housing structures can be placed indoors or outdoors depending on  design and security arrangements;

(vi) Each house should be lockable. One of the keys to the house should be  labelled and kept at the Head teacher’s office. The other key should be

kept by the candidate for regular use.

Each candidate should

Write his or her full index number on the housing structure provided;

Equip the house with a feeder and waterer;

Equip the cage with a record keeping card;

Inventively make other preparation on the cage to make it ready for rearing the livestock.

(b) Livestock 

A school selecting this project should acquire and give the selected class of  livestock to candidates by 15th August 2021.

Note: Procurement of livestock is the responsibility of the school and

NOT that of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

(c) Means of weighing 

The school should provide a portable means of weighing or estimating weight  up to 100 kg.

(d) Feeds 

The school should provide enough feeds to each candidate for feeding the livestock.

1. After the candidates have been provided with the facilities outlined in (2) above, they  should be instructed to:

(a) weigh the livestock accurately and record their weights on a record card; (b) rear the livestock up to the end of second term;

(c) keep records of the activities carried out and observations made during the  rearing period. These records will be used by the candidates to write their  final report. The records should be written on a record card and hung  securely inside the cage.

(d) avail the records to the agriculture teacher or KNEC agent whenever required.

1. The Agriculture teacher should assess each candidate’s project two times (the 1st for  milestone I and the 2nd for milestone II) using the marking scheme provided by KNEC.  The scores for milestone I assessment should be uploaded by 15th October 2021 and  the ones for milestone II by 31st January 2022.
2. The Agriculture teacher should then mark each candidate’s project report out of 20 marks  using the guidelines provided by KNEC. All the marks for each candidate should be  entered in the appropriate column of the assessment sheet.
3. The total score of each candidate should then be transferred from the assessment sheet to  the manual mark sheet. Ensure that these scores are entered according to candidates’  index numbers in ascending order.
4. The project should be concluded and handed over to the school by the end of January  2022.