By MN Reporter
Kisumu City’s Jalaram Academy shone at the the Nyanza region engineering fair after two students exhibited an anti-examination cheating security box.
Brent Steve and Azelia McKenzie exhibited their invention during the fair organized at Isebania Boys High School in Migori county.
The invention has security features that seals examination papers in a box with special code for each center attached to a short mobile message to alert those in authority each time a box is opened.
“We have been watching over the media on cases of examination cheating with teachers and students arrested for accessing the examination before time compromising integrity, which inspired us to invent the box,” Steve said.
He said unlike the current security feature when papers are only placed under a manual seal which can easily be broken, their box has included mobile and sensor to make it more timely.
The box has five key features which include a special code which has details of all examination material like the teacher in-charge, a pad where password codes to open the box are placed and timers for exert place it is opened.
“When the box blinks with a blue color it shows the content have not been tempered with and each time it is open it turns into white and sends a buzzer to alert people around,” Steve said.
McKenzie said an SMS is sent to those in charge of examinations including police and Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) in charge of examination each time the box is opened.
“With a time stamp, it will show if the box is opened before time and due date of the examination which will help in curb attempts to steal the examination before due date,” he said.
The sensors and the systems have been sourced online and assembly and coding done by the students through computers and training by their teachers.
Moses Otiende, the senior school teacher at the academy which uses the British education system said they hope after regional exhibition they will proceed to the national level.
“We want to safeguard the integrity examination and over eight per cent of cheating is caused by prior access to materials which this system will block completely,” Otiende said.
He said they box can’t be hacked as the system is placed manually and data sent via SMS over existing phone networks which can be placed even in places that have little network.
“This is a prototype and in places where network is completely out it can be upgraded into satellite mode, the device can be affordably set up and it will be cheaper when mass produced,” Otiende.
The three said the country will pick it up and help in pushing through the invention.
“Since it is used to secure vital documents the same technology can also be used in electoral system in securing ballot boxes and the judiciary and justice system to secure exhibit and files,” Otiende added.
The Kenya Science and Engineering fair nurtures talent and innovation among school going children in the country.
