Schools Reopen Amid Election Uncertainty

    As of now, the current 10-week school term is scheduled to end on September 16, 2022.

    Schools across the country will reopen today on Thursday following a two-week break for the General Election on August 9th.

    Even as classes resume, there is widespread concern about the disruption to the school calendar for this term, with Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. George Magoha stating on Wednesday that the learning schedule would not be extended to allow learners to make up for time lost during the elections.

    The program could be impacted further if the Supreme Court orders a rerun of the presidential elections after Azimio la Umoja coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga stated his intention to challenge the election results in court.

    As of now, the current 10-week school term is scheduled to end on September 16, 2022.

    According to Magoha, schools will have to adapt to the changes in order to ensure that learners who will sit for national exams in November have completed the prescribed curriculum before the assessments arrive.

    He also stated that schools will not be closed again if the Supreme Court orders a rerun of the presidential election.

    On Tuesday morning, bus stations across the country were packed with students returning to school, but many were left stranded due to a shortage of public service vehicles (PSVs).

    Transport fares have also been significantly raised by PSV operators further adding to the delays.

    Education stakeholders have since urged CS Magoha to extend the school term to allow learners to catch up with the academic curriculum.

    “We have 1.3 million in primary school in class eight, we have close to 900,000 in Form 4 who will sit for exams this month. It is important that we plan for an extension so that we have these children covering the content that they ought to cover in schools even if they are not sitting for exams,” Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director Usawa Agenda, told Citizen TV.

    “This term was only 10 weeks, three weeks have been lost. We are going to destroy a whole generation. We must allow these children to cover the content so that extension must come.”