Midterm Break: Parents Could Pay for Lost Learning Time as Principals Head to Mombasa for KESSHA Conference.
Schools across the country are preparing for the June 24–28 midterm break amid concerns over learning recovery following a term marked by student unrest, funding challenges, and congestion in secondary schools. While the Ministry of Education has maintained that the 2026 academic calendar remains on track, education stakeholders have raised concerns about the impact of lost instructional time on learners, teachers, and parents.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stated that although learning time was lost in some schools affected by unrest, the disruptions were limited in duration and institutions have mechanisms to recover the missed lessons.
“It is true that learning time was lost in the few schools that were affected by unrest. The time varied from school to school. Most of those schools closed for a maximum of a week, and learners were readmitted in a staggered manner, giving priority to examination classes. In most schools, candidate classes were not involved,” Mr Ogamba said.
The Cabinet Secretary added that schools possess institutional mechanisms to recover lost learning time and expressed confidence that affected institutions would manage to make up for the disruption.
The Ministry of Education further maintained that the academic year has not been affected. Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa stated that parents would be engaged through annual general meetings and school forums and assured that learners would not be disadvantaged.
“The academic year has not been affected in any way. During AGMs and parents’ meetings, the parents will be engaged and assured of not being disadvantaged in any way since the schools will put in place programmes and psychosocial mechanisms to ensure learners are ready for learning,” Mr Ololtuaa said.
Concerns Over Learning Recovery
Education stakeholders have cautioned that recovering lost instructional time within the existing school calendar may require schools to compress learning schedules.
According to Boaz Waruku, schools affected by unrest will likely have to accelerate syllabus coverage to compensate for missed lessons.
“The loss of one or two weeks of learning time is disruptive because schools will be forced to rush syllabus coverage. There is no way teachers will simply continue with the curriculum as usual after losing this amount of time. They will have to do something to catch up,” Mr Waruku said.
He noted that the intensified schedules could place additional pressure on learners, particularly candidates preparing for national examinations and Grade 10 learners adjusting to the senior school curriculum under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Mr Waruku further warned that some schools may introduce remedial programmes to recover lost learning time, potentially resulting in additional financial obligations for parents.
Learning Recovery Expected to Feature at KESSHA Conference
The issue of learning recovery is expected to be among the key agenda items during the annual conference of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, which will bring together principals from secondary schools across the country in Mombasa.
The conference comes at a time when schools are grappling with the effects of student unrest, financial constraints, and preparations for national examinations.
Starehe Boys Adjusts Calendar
At Starehe Boys Centre, administrators adjusted the academic calendar by granting learners an earlier half-term break.
Director Fred Okono announced that learners would proceed on half-term on June 19 and return on June 24 to facilitate preparations for the institution’s Founders Memorial scheduled for June 28, 2026.
Mr Okono stated that despite unrest affecting learning in many schools across the country, the institution had maintained stability throughout the term.
Funding and School Capacity Challenges
School administrators have also cited funding constraints as a significant challenge facing institutions this year.
According to school leaders, senior schools are yet to receive capitation funds for Grade 10 learners for both Term One and Term Two. Concerns have been raised that government disbursements under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme were based on previous enrolment figures, which did not include Grade 10 learners.
Administrators indicated that delayed capitation has compounded financial pressures, particularly in schools where fee collection remains low.
In addition, questions have been raised regarding school capacity following the admission of Grade 10 learners under the Competency-Based Education system.
Omboko Milemba, Secretary-General of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers, attributed overcrowding in some institutions to the current admission policy.
“The Ministry of Education should be candid with Kenyans. There is something wrong with the current intake policy that has caused congestion in boarding schools. You cannot continue admitting students beyond the capacity of schools,” Mr Milemba said.
He called for a national discussion on the sustainability of boarding schools and urged greater investment in day schools.
Concerns Over Teacher Shortages
Stakeholders have also questioned how affected schools will recover lost learning time without increasing pressure on teachers and learners.
The challenge is expected to be particularly significant in institutions already experiencing teacher shortages, especially in specialised subjects under the Competency-Based Education system. Education stakeholders noted that while remedial classes could assist in learning recovery, previous Ministry of Education guidance has discouraged such programmes in many schools.
Parents Raise Concerns
Silas Obuhatsa, chairman of the National Parents Association, said the midterm break provides parents with an opportunity to discuss challenges affecting learners.
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Mr Obuhatsa noted that more than 100 secondary schools experienced various forms of disruption during the term, with many learners being sent home following unrest incidents.
Parents whose children were affected by strikes are also expected to incur additional costs associated with transportation, readmission, and penalties linked to property damage in affected institutions.
Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Education has maintained that schools possess adequate mechanisms to recover lost instructional time and that the 2026 academic calendar remains unaffected.
Midterm Break: Parents Could Pay for Lost Learning Time as Principals Head to Mombasa for KESSHA Conference
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