Education CS Ezekiel Machogu Announces Extension Of Second Term Calender Ahead Of School Reopening

• Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said 95% of the schools countrywide are ready for reopening
• The CS said the Ministry of Education will reduce the duration of the August holiday to create enough time for the completion of the syllabus
• However, the dates for national exams, including the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KSCE) remain unchanged

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has made new announcements about the second term school calendar.

While inspecting schools in Nairobi county ahead of reopening on Monday, May 13, Machogu said the second term will be extended.

The CS stated that the Ministry of Education would be reducing the duration of the August holiday to create enough time to complete the syllabus.

Machogu: Schools ready for reopening

This follows the postponement of school opening dates from May 6 to May 13 after heavy rains rocked the country.

The CS insisted that a majority of schools countrywide will open, arguing that 95% of schools are ready to open after the assessment.

“Particularly for Form Four candidates, we will see how we can recover time lost by extending the second term by a few days. They were expected to close for three weeks in August and we might minimise the number of days schools will be closed,” Machogu said.

However, Machogu stated that the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) examinations will not be postponed.

“The examination calendar remains the same; KCSE and KPSEA will be taken in the normal time from November,” he added.

Why are parents against Ruto's directive?

Meanwhile, a section of Kenyan parents questioned the government's decision to reopen schools amid heavy rainfall and floods still being experienced across the country.

During his meeting with Maa leaders at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, May 8, President William Ruto announced that schools would reopen for the second term on Monday, May 13.

However, some parents who have raised concerns about their children's welfare have not welcomed the head of state's directive.

Joash Ocholla, a resident of Kakola in Kisumu county, stated that the schools were ill-prepared to host learners.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke