George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, has refuted reports and demands to postpone national examinations and extend term dates as a result of the recent General Election disruption.
On Thursday, August 18, Magoha stated that the national examinations – the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) – will be held in November as scheduled.
He explained that the polls had caused minimal disruption to the school calendar, which could not justify an extension of the school term.
“Our children are extremely resilient. Quite a number of them had completed their syllabuses. They have enough time to revise and their safety is of importance,” Magoha explained.
The National Parents Association’s chairperson, Nicholas Maiyo, had asked Magoha to extend the school term due to the disruption caused by the elections.
Parents, through their representatives, have also requested that school fees be reduced if the terms are not extended.
“Schools were to open on August 11, but this was pushed to August 18. Our appeal is that the school calendar be extended or if it is not possible, they reduce the school fees,” Maiyo appealed to Magoha.
The second term concludes on September 16, after which learners will have a one-week break before returning for the third term of the 2022 academic year.
This will bring to an end the two-year crash program caused by the 2020 pandemic interruption.
The regular school calendar will resume in January 2023.
