Education Cabinet Secretary has announced calendar changes that will affect primary and secondary students in the last term of the year. The changes include shortening KCSE exam time from six weeks to four which effectively means third term will be three weeks shorter for students not sitting for national exams.
To accommodate a shorter third-term, the education ministry has prolonged the second term which was to end on August 5 but will now end on August 12. Third term will start on August 29 and end October 28. So students will have only two weeks of August holidays but will have a longer December holiday.
In the same circular, Matiang’i has announced a raft of measures to limit contact between students and outsiders in a bid to curb exam cheating. As a result visiting days, and prayer days have been scrapped.
“There will also be no half term breaks during the thirds term, given the short period,” the CS said.
The CS added the removal of the ‘extracurricular’ activities will help students and schools prepare well for exams without distractions.
The new rules were arrived at after consultation with the Kenya National Examination Council, teachers unions, TSC and head teachers association.
A more comprehensive schools calendar will be released next year.
