State Unveils Plan to Recover ‘Lost’ School Days
The government will extend the second and third terms because of the indefinite delay in school reopening due to ongoing floods, which have caused significant damage and resulted in over 200 deaths.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams set for November by Form Four students will not be impacted by the revised school calendar.
Initially, all basic education institutions, including nursery, primary, and secondary schools, were supposed to resume on April 29 for the second term according to the year’s academic schedule. However, due to flooding, this date was pushed back to May 6.
President William Ruto announced an indefinite delay in school reopening during his national address on Friday.
The President didn’t specify plans for online learning, a method used by the previous administration during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were closed for over seven months.
However, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu stated online learning could proceed.
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“The learning devices are limited,” the CS stated, assuring parents that everything is under control. He expressed confidence that Form Four students are studying from home and encouraged children to continue learning at home.
The academic calendar shows that the first term lasted for 13 weeks from January 8 to April 5. Students took a mid-term break from February 29 to March 3, followed by a three-week holiday from April 6 to 28.
The second term, which is the longest of the three school terms, was initially scheduled to start on April 29 and run for 14 weeks until August 2. Students were supposed to take a mid-term break from June 20 to 23.
Students would have also had a three-week holiday from August 5 to 25. This term is the most affected by the current flooding situation, as the state has delayed reopening indefinitely.
The third term, the shortest, was set to begin on August 26 and last for nine weeks until October 25.
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National exams, including the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), are scheduled from October 28 to 31.
Due to the elimination of the 8-4-4 system this year, there will be no Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates. The last cohort is in Form 1.
KPSEA is given in Grade 6 before transitioning to Junior Secondary School, but the results are not used for student placement; rather, they track students’ learning progress. Students were assessed in Mathematics, English, Integrated Science, and Kiswahili.
Performance is categorized into four levels: exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, approaching expectations, and below expectations.
Machogu said that due to the extension of the April holidays caused by flood damage, the school calendar will be adjusted.
“The KCSE exams will not be postponed; we haven’t decided on that yet. We hope the rains will subside this month, and as soon as that happens, we’ll reopen schools,” Machogu explained.
To recover the time lost during the floods, the ministry plans to extend the term.
“We’ll shorten the three-week break in August and make up the lost time in December,” Machogu told the Nation in an interview.
Last Monday, the Ministry of Education instructed principals and head teachers to keep students who had reported to schools.
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However, after President Ruto’s announcement on Friday, Machogu’s ministry instructed school heads to let students return home safely.
“This directive is due to the heavy rains and flooding affecting parts of the country. You must implement this directive in your areas,” Machogu stated in a circular to regional, county, and sub-county education directors.
He also told school boards to hold meetings and submit reports to county education boards regarding the condition of their schools.
“Reports should include details on any damage to school infrastructure due to adverse weather and suggest mitigation measures. Submit reports by May 8,” he said.
The floods have severely affected schools by damaging infrastructure, submerging buildings and sanitation facilities, and destroying educational materials.
Currently, some schools are sheltering people displaced by the floods.
Machogu said these reports are crucial for working with the National Government Constituency Development Fund to restore damaged infrastructure.
He directed county education boards to hold urgent meetings to assess their areas and submit detailed reports to the Cabinet Secretary by May 10.
“The Regional Directors of Education should continually update the status of schools in their areas using the provided templates,” he added.
Machogu instructed all field education officers in areas where schools are sheltering displaced persons to work with local National Government Administration Officers to find alternative accommodations for displaced people so that schools can resume normal activities.
State Unveils Plan to Recover ‘Lost’ School Days
