Magoha Dispells Reports and Demands To Postpone KCPE, KCSE Exams & Extend Term Dates
George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, has refuted reports and demands to postpone national examinations and extend term dates in the aftermath of the recently concluded General Election.
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 planned.
He explained that the polls had caused minimal disruption to the school calendar, which could not justify extending the school year.
“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 students will take 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 pandemic interruption in 2020. In January 2023, the regular school year will resume.
Maiyo also requested that the government, through the Ministry of Transport, led by Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, regulate the public service vehicles (PSV) sector after some operators raised fares during the start of school on Thursday, August 18.
This comes after parents fought fare increases on most routes, forcing them to dig deeper into their pockets to get their children back to school.
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“We want to appeal to the government to take stern action against matatu SACCOs taking advantage to increase fares,” Maiyo added.
The National Police Service (NPS) has assured parents that students will be safe when they return to school.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), on the other hand, has asked matatu operators to follow traffic rules in order to avoid road accidents.
Magoha Dispells Reports and Demands To Postpone KCPE, KCSE Exams & Extend Term Dates
