Schools in Kenya are scheduled to gradually reopen on Monday (Oct. 12) for Grade 4, Class 8 and Form Four learners after remaining shut for nearly seven months following their closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Officials of the Ministry of education said all arrangements had been put in place for the students to attend schools after the institutions remained shut for months since March.
“The Ministry of Education notifies the public that the progressive re-opening of schools will commence with Grade 4 (Competency-Based Curriculum Class), Class 8 and Form 4 on Monday 12, Oct. 2020.”
The Ministry indicated that this was pursuant to the Presidential Directive issued during the Twelfth (12th) Presidential Address to the Nation on the Coronavirus Pandemic and following broad-based education stakeholder consultations.
“The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with that of Health will continuously monitor adherence to guidelines on health and safety protocols for reopening of basic education institutions amid the Covid-19 pandemic in order to determine when to reopen for all other learners in primary and secondary schools.”
From the revised education calendar, class Eight and Form Four students will sit their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) in March 2021.
The KCPE exam will be conducted for three days between March 22-March 24, 2021 while the Form Four candidates will seat their KCSE test from March 25- April 16, 2021.
According to statistics by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) 1,938,667 candidates will seat for the final primary and secondary examinations in 2020.
Of this number, some 751,150 candidates were to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations while 1,187,517 others were to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations.
Prof. George Magoha further said, “The Government has already met the full costs of the KCPE and KCSE for all candidates.”
Students and pupils will learn until December 23, 2020, when the second term will come to an end before proceeding for a one-week Christmas holiday.
Term 3 begins on January 4, 2021, to March 19, 2021.
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