The government through the Ministry of Education has unveiled the 2024 calendar for pre-primary, primary, secondary schools and teachers’ training colleges.
Term one 2024
According to the calendar, the pre-primary, primary and secondary schools will have 13 weeks of classwork from January 8 to April 5, 2024 with a mid-term break from February 29 to March 3.
At the end of the first term, the schools will close for three weeks from April 6 to 26, 2023.
Term Two 2024
They will again open schools for term two from April 29 which will run for 14 weeks up to August 2. In between, they will go for a half-term from June 20 to 23.
The learners for pre-primary, primary and secondary school will go for a three-week holiday from August 5 to 25.
On August August 26, they will open for the third term which will run for nine weeks up to October 25.
Schools national exams
National exams including the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) examinations will run from October 28 to 31.
This will pave the way for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams running from November 4 to 22, 2023.
The long holiday is set to kick in on October 28, 2023, to January 3, 2025.
Teacher Training Colleges
Teachers’ training colleges will have their term one starting on January 8 and ending on April 5, 2023, with a three-week holiday from April 8 to 26.
Term two will open on April 29 and go until August 2followed by another holiday running from August 5 to 30.
The colleges will open for a third term on August 26 running to November 8, before a long holiday from November 11 to January 3, 2025.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has today appointed a team to look at safe ways of reopening schools and planning the education calendar. The Committee dubbed ‘Covid-19 national education response committee’ will be tasked with coming up with strategies of restoring normality in the education sector.
“The Ministry has appointed a nine member committee to take charge of the process of exploring the best possible strategies of restoring normalcy in the sub-sector education,” reads a presser by CS Magoha.
Schools were expected to reopen on May 4, 2020 for commencement of the second term, but the April holiday was extended by one month to allow the Ministry plan on how to safely reopen the schools. Term one was terminated prematurely as a result of the covid-19 outbreak in the country.
The nine member committee, that kicks off its operations immediately, will be chaired by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development chairperson Dr. Sarah Ruto.
The ministry is grappling with a limited time ahead of this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, KCSE, and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, KCPE, examinations.
The Ministry insists the examinations will go on as planned.
While appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education last week CS Magoha said it was difficult to state the exact reopening date for schools; saying that the ministry values the safety of learners and other stakeholders.
Teachers’ unions sidelined
Learners are already receiving daily lesson broadcasts as one of the measures put up by the Ministry to try and recover lost time.
“The Ministry has come up with measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 in the education sector, including mounting of online learning and the drafting of a master plan to guide the response to covid-19 in the education sector,” adds the CS.
The other members to the committee have been drawn from various departments in the education sector. Stakeholders have also been brought on board. While parent and heads associations have been given slot in the committee, teachers’ unions have received a wide berth. Both the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) will be observing from the sidelines.
KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion.
KNUT secretary general, Hon. Wilson Sossion, is rooting for phased reopening of schools; with candidates (class 8 and form four candidates) to be given first priority.
Table 1: Members to the Covid-19 national education response committee
S/N
NAME
INSTITUTION
1
Dr. Sarah Ruto
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, KICD
2
Mr. Indimuli Kahi
Chairman, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, Kssha,
3
Mr. Nicholas Gathemia
Chairman, Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association, Kpsha,
4
Mr. Peter Ndolo
Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Kenya Private Schools Association (kpsa)
5
Mr. Nicholas Maiyo
Chairman, Kenya Parents Association (kpa)
6
Mr. Augustine Muthigani
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops
7
Ms. Jane Mwangi
Kenya Association for for independ international schools
8
Dr. Nelson Makanda
National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)
9
Sheikh Munawar Khan
Muslim Education Council
10
Mr. Peter Sitienei
Chairman Kenya Special Schools Heads Association
Table 2: Ex-Officio Members
The Committee’s secretariat, that will be based at the KICD offices in Nairobi, will have the following ex-officio members:
S/N
NAME
INSTITUTION
1
Ms. Ruth Mugambi
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development
2
Mr. Ptrick Ochich
Kenya National Examinations Council
3
Mr. Gabriel Mathenge
Teachers Service Commission
4
Mr. Paul Kibet
Director, Secondary Education; Ministry of Education
August holiday to be shortened by two-weeks to compensate for learning time lost due to the current Covid-19 when schools reopen in June, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Geroge Magoha now says.
While appearing before the Parliament’s education committee, earlier today, Prof. Magoha said term two half term will be shortened by four days while, the August holiday will be reduced by two weeks. This is in a bid to enable learners to recover lost time and content.
Learning will also be carried out for longer hours during normal school days.
The above is contained in a report by CS Magoha in his response to the National Assembly’s Education Committee that wanted to know the measures the ministry has put in place to mitigate effects posed by the covid-19 pandemic; on the education sector.
The CS is in record saying this year’s national examinations will not be post-poned.
He has also restated that schools will remain closed till June 4 and that the Government will review the situation before advising the public of the next step regarding the start of second term.
The Ministry is currently providing online learning services to learners across the country via a number of digital platforms.
“The content for online learning for the national curriculum is available on the KICD website and radio lessons are available for free,” Magoha says adding that the service is available to all learners.
He however says the government is making all it can to ensure all learners have the necessary gadgets to attend to the online lessons.
The Ministry has lined up a huge budget of about Sh20 billion to be utilized once schools reopen. These estimates are contained in the Kenya Basic Education Covid-19 emergency response plan that will run for 18 months beginning June, 2020 when schools reopen. A chunk of these funds will be utilized to ensure health, safety and well-being of learners, teachers and education staff.
