Ministry to Extend Academic Calendar but Exam Dates to Remain Unchanged — Machogu
According to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, the government intends to extend Term Two school dates to compensate for the two-week delay in the opening of learning institutions caused by flooding.
During a briefing on Thursday, the Education CS revealed that the second term would be prolonged for an unspecified period to allow schools to thoroughly cover the syllabus, particularly for candidates preparing for the national exams in November this year.
Machogu said that the Ministry would explore options to recuperate the lost time, especially for Form Four candidates, by extending the second term for a few days.
He pointed out that the initial plan for these candidates was to close for three weeks in August, and he suggested that they could potentially decrease the number of school closure days.
The Ministry of Education postponed the reopening of the second term of school on April 29 due to severe rain and devastating floods that have killed over 257 people.
Follow Teachers Updates Page On Facebook
Mr. Machogu stated that, while some features may alter, the schedule for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) tests will stay intact. He stated that the tests will take place in November as scheduled.
“The examination calendar remains the same; KCSE and KPSEA will be taken in the normal time from November,” he stated.
However, the CS stated that several schools in seven counties, including Tana River, Homa Bay, and Kisumu, may not resume on Monday due to the heavy rainfall. He stated that the government will investigate alternative learning arrangements, such as moving students to safer locations.
He stated that they would soon release the names of the schools; however, he noted that two percent of schools in Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Tana River counties might not open due to being the most affected by the rains.
On Monday, President William Ruto launched a Sh1 billion fund to restore flood-affected schools.
Initially, the schools were scheduled to reopen on April 29, 2024; however, due to difficulties caused by severe rains, the reopening date was moved to May 6, 2024.
In Our Other News: KNEC Releases SBA Timetable and Instructions for DPTE (Year 1 ): Download
Last Friday, President Ruto asked the Ministry of Education to postpone the reopening of all schools in the country due to the flooding crisis.
Mr. Machogu stated that it would be imprudent to risk the lives of students and staff before putting in place water-tight measures to ensure adequate safety for all affected school communities due to the devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools.
Ministry to Extend Academic Calendar but Exam Dates to Remain Unchanged — Machogu
