Schools to close for two weeks for April holiday
All primary and secondary schools across the country will close this week for two weeks as the first term ends.
The first term began on January 23, two weeks after the usual time, as the Government had rescheduled the school calendar to recover from the time lost during the Covid pandemic.
It also marked the return of the normal school calendar of three terms per year, unlike the last two years when the ministry squeezed them to four terms.
The first term also marked another phase of Competency Based Curriculum implementation as the first class comprising over 1.2 million learners transitioned to Junior Secondary School (JSS).
In a circular to all education officials across the country in January, the Ministry of Education capped the first term at 13 weeks, the second at 14 weeks, and the third term at only 9 weeks.
The second term will run for 14 weeks, from May 8 to August 11. There will, however, be a half-term break on June 29.
Also read: ‘Riggy G ametoa form’ – DP dishes out Sh800k to his former school
August holiday is also expected to run for two weeks, from August 12 to 27, after which third term will be for nine weeks until October 27.
The final term will run from August 28 up to October 27, a few days before national examinations kick off. Being the shortest term of the year, there will be no break for the learners.
“This reorganisation of school term dates comes at a heavy cost to parents in terms of pressure to clear school fees within short intervals, teachers having heavy workloads, while learners have had to cover more content within extremely short time,” Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said.
Learners not sitting for national examinations will go on a 10-week holiday beginning October 28 and ending January 8.
Final KCPE candidates and Grade Six learners will sit for their national tests for four days starting October 30 up to November 2.
The next day, November 3, KCSE examinations will begin until November 24.
The ministry also says the marking of the national examinations will be over by December 15.
Also read: Dennis Ombachi celebrates his young son for finishing first in school race