AGRICULTURE PROJECT Instructions to Schools - KCSE 2019 Agriculture Project

443/3 Instr. to Sc.
AGRICULTURE PROJECT
Paper 3
Jan. - Aug. 2019

THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
AGRICULTURE PROJECT
Paper 3

Instructions to Schools

Each school presenting candidates for Agriculture (443) in the KCSE examination for the year 2019 will produce two copies of this document. One copy of the document will be for the School Principal and the other one for the teacher in charge of Agriculture project hereafter referred to as the Agriculture teacher.

The School Principal and the Agriculture teacher should each read the document carefully. Relevant information should then be conveyed to the candidates as soon as possible to enable them to carry out the project in good time.

There are two alternative projects, namely Project A and Project B. Each school should select only one alternative. It is therefore necessary for the Agriculture teacher to discuss the alternatives with the School Principal and the candidates so as to select the most appropriate alternative.

The Agriculture Teacher will mark all candidates’ projects.

The projects should be accessible for monitoring by authorised KNEC agent(s).

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. The Agriculture teacher and School Principal should discuss the alternative projects and make a suitable choice for the school as soon as this document is received from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). The Agriculture Teacher should then brief the candidates on the requirements of the project.
   
   
2. These instructions, together with the marking schemes should then be printed and distributed to all the candidates.
   
   
3. Each candidate should read the instructions, conceptualize and write a brief description of the project, execution procedures, requirements, estimated quantities of the inputs and their costs. The candidate should keep this write up in his or her project portfolio (file or folder). The portfolio can be physical or electronic in a computer or other digital storage devices. The candidate should then submit a summary of his/her project requirements to the Agriculture teacher who will then compile for the school to provide the inputs.
   
   Each candidate will maintain a collection of evidence of performance on the specified milestones at different stages of project implementation. The pieces of evidence should include write ups, photographs and video recordings (where appropriate). Maintenance of a project portfolio of evidence will be monitored and assessed.
   
   The candidates are individually required to keep records of their project activities and observations which they will later use to write the final project report.
   
   
4. Each candidate should be supplied with an adequate number of ruled A4 papers on which to write the initial project description and final project report. Each of these should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words.
   
   
5. In addition, each candidate should be given a declaration form which will make the first page of the report.
   
   
6. The school should provide adequate security for the candidates’ projects.
   
   
7. The project chosen by the school must be seen and treated as an examination. It must therefore be the candidates’s true and unaided work. At the same time the scores awarded by the Agriculture teacher must be objective and remain confidential.
   
   
8. The Agriculture teacher should assess each candidate’s project from time to time using the marking scheme and time lines provided by KNEC and enter the marks in the individual candidate project assessment sheets. It is absolutely important that the marks are entered in the project assessment sheets immediately after each assessment.
   
   
9. 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 authorised 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.
   
   
10. The candidate scores on the project, together with a pictorial evidence of the entire school project status will be electronically submitted to KNEC twice. The Agriculture teacher should transfer the total score of each candidate from the assessment sheet to the class mark sheet by 31st March and 15th July. The scores, together with a photograph showing the project status for the entire class at the time the last assessment was done should be uploaded on the KNEC Portal. The photograph should be in .gif or .jpeg format. It should capture the school Principal, Agriculture teacher and candidates standing at their respective projects in school full school uniform. This should be done following the time lines provided. The index numbers of candidates should be entered in ascending order ensuring that all candidates have the same Index Numbers as in the final examination.
    
    The KNEC Portal will only be accessible during the specified time lines and scores once uploaded cannot be accessed for alteration.
    
    The project implementation and assessment should be completed by the end of second term.
    
    
11. The Agriculture Teacher should write a brief report about the centre using the centre report form provided by KNEC.
    
    
12. At the end of the project, the School Principal must ensure that the Assessment Sheets and Class Mark Sheet are duly filled, signed and stamped. All the candidates’ Agriculture Project Reports, Project Assessment Sheets, Class Mark Sheet and Project Report Form for the centre should be packed and handed over to the Sub-County Director of Education in the first week of third term.
    
    
13. The Sub-County Director of Education will then hand over all the documents to the Kenya National Examinations Council.

PROJECT A: PRODUCTION OF CABBAGES / FINGER MILLET

1. The Project work should be carried out by the candidates in the Form IV class between January and end of second term.
2. The variety of crop should be suited to the ecological zone of the school.
3. The school should acquire seeds (for millet) or raise the seedlings in the nursery (for cabbages) to be able to provide them to the candidates at the time of planting.
4. Each candidate should be allocated a piece of land measuring 4m x 3m on which to carry out the project. The plots should be uniform in soil characteristics and topography as much as possible. Paths not less than 50 cm wide should be left between the plots. The plots should be numbered according to the candidates’ Index Numbers in ascending order. The plots should be allocated to the candidates by the end of January.
5. After plot allocation, candidates should be instructed to grow the selected crop up to harvesting by applying appropriate agronomic and management practices.
6. The Agriculture Teacher should assess each candidate’s project using the marking scheme provided by KNEC.
7. The Agriculture Teacher should 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 on the assessment sheet.
8. The total score of each candidate should 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.
9. The project should be concluded and handed over to the school by the end of second term.

PROJECT B: CHICKEN REARING

1. This project shall be carried out from January and candidates should conclude it by the end of second term, 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 chicken or dispose of them.
2. Schools choosing this project shall be required to provide each candidate with the following facilities:
   1. Cages
      
      Each candidate should be provided with a cage by the end of February at the latest. The cage may be bought or made by the school. The dimensions of the cage should be 50 cm long, 45 cm wide and 45 cm high; or large enough to accommodate two layers. It is important to ensure the following:
      1. The cage should be well ventilated and lit.
      2. The roof should be waterproof; if the cage is to be kept outdoors.
      3. The floor of the cage may be weld mesh/slatted timber to allow droppings to fall to the ground or be made of boards or planks of wood, in which case litter will be used to keep the floor dry.
      4. Cages may be singly or in several units attached horizontally. The cages may be placed on top of each other up to a maximum of three tiers.
      5. Cages can be placed indoors or outdoors depending on design and security arrangements.
      6. Each cage should be lockable. One of the keys to the cage 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
         
         (i) Write his or her full index number on the cage.
         (ii) Equip the cage with a feeder and waterer.
         (iii) Equip the cage with a record keeping card.
         (iv) Inventively make other preparation on the cage to make it ready for rearing the birds.
         
         
   2. Growers (Pullets/cockerels)
      1. A school selecting this project can acquire growers of 9-12 weeks of age and give them to candidates by 1^st March 2019.
      2. Each candidate should be provided with two commercial hybrid pullet cockerels 9-12 weeks old.
      3. The school may obtain hybrid growers from any reputable source. Broilers should not be used for the project.
         Note: Procurement of growers is the responsibility of the school and not that of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
         
         
   3. Weighing machine
      
      The school should provide a portable weighing machine such as a spring balance, that can be used to weigh up-to 5 kg.
      
      
   4. Feeds
      
      The school should provide enough growers mash and vegetables to each candidate for feeding the chickens.
      
      
3. After the candidates have been provided with the facilities outlined in (2) above, they should be instructed to:
   1. Weigh the two chickens accurately and record their average weights on a record card.
   2. Rear the chickens up to the end of second term.
   3. 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.
   4. Avail the records to the Agriculture teacher or KNEC agent whenever required.
      
      
4. The Agriculture teacher should assess each candidate’s project four times (one for the first milestone and three for the second milestone) using the marking scheme provided by KNEC. The assessments should be done during the month March, May, and June. Each assessment should be out of 25 marks. At the end of the 3rd assessment, the teacher should add up all the marks out of 75.
   
   
5. Consider other unique practices (any five) carried out by a candidate to improve the growth and performance of the chicken. this should be scored out of five marks.
   
   
6. The Agriculture teacher should 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.
7. The Agriculture teacher should ensure that the marks are entered in ascending order of index numbers.