[30 marks] SUMMARY You are advised to spend 40 minutes on this section. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it. The education system is declining at an alarming rate which is a great concern for both government and the Ministry of Education, Employment and Development. Drastic measures must be taken to improve the current situation, if not, the next generation will have no legacy to fall back on. Time and again, the blame has been shifted from students to teachers to parents with no end in sight. Lasting solutions lie with all stakeholders in education in general and by extension, the entire population. To start with, teachers in both public and private schools must be made to pass through baptism of fire. This means that teachers should be thoroughly scrutinised during the interview process in order to gauge their level of preparedness to deliver as required. This should be done to ensure that only teachers who understand the subject matter of their area of specialisation are hired and given the responsibility to teach. The monitoring of teaching and learning in schools should be enhanced. Personnel of high moral standing and virtue should be hired to monitor the teaching and learning process in schools. The efficiency and conduct of teachers should be monitored and counselling conducted if need be. This way, the standard of education will improve.
