Schools Re-Open Amid Tight School Calendar
Schools across the country reopened yesterday after a three-week hiatus to allow for the General Election on August 9, 2022.
The planned break was extended after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) delayed releasing the presidential election results.
Schools were supposed to re-open on August 11th following the election, but this was not to be, as CS Education Prof. George Magoha moved the date to August 15th, and then to today, August 18, 2022, for a smooth transition of students.
Roselyn Litaba, Kiambu Sub County Director of Education, acknowledged that due to the delay and the fact that this is a busy term, schools will have to work hard to maximize the school calendar and ensure that the syllabus is completed.
“It is upon schools to work at individual level to ensure that the students are able to catch up and complete the syllabus in the stipulated time,” she said.
Litaba also stated that it would be difficult to extend the term because the school calendar and National exam timetable are already set.
She also expressed her hope that educational stakeholders will ensure that schools are not disrupted if the Supreme Court orders a rerun of the presidential election after Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga challenged the results.
Kiambu Township Primary School headteacher John Mwania told KNA that 90% of students have returned to school and that he expects all students to return by the end of the week.
“As a school we are scheduled to have a meeting with all teachers so that we can discuss the way forward and how we will be able to manage to cover the syllabus for the remaining term. We are confident that we will do it even with the apparent pressure,” he said.
Most parents who spoke to KNA hoped that there would be no disruptions to the school calendar if the presidential election was held again or if a by-election was held.
One parent, John Miaro, whose son attends Kiambu High School, stated that his son is in form four and that he hopes the government will now focus on preparing the students for their upcoming final exams at the end of the year.
“My opinion is that the government should contemplate going back to holding elections in the month of December so that the school calendar is not disrupted the way it was, and it should be carried out when our children are at home and are awaiting to join the next class since the school premises are the ones used for elections,” Miaro said.
However, Leah Wambui, a parent, stated that she would prefer that the government extend the term so that it is easier for them to pay school fees.
“It will be really difficult for us to pay school fees in this short duration and the children only have less than one month to be in school for the term. It will be a relief for us parents if the term is extended,” she said.
Prof. George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, stated on Wednesday that the learning schedule would not be extended to allow teachers and students to make up for lost time, and that schools must work to ensure that learners sitting for National examinations complete the Syllabus before November.
Magoha also promised that if the elections were held again, secondary schools would not lose any more time.
“If the tallying of votes is supposed to, let’s say, take place at secondary schools we want to urge that IEBC relocate the tallying center to institutions of higher learning.
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“This will avert the loss of more time in the academic calendar,” he said.
The current term, which was supposed to last ten weeks, will end on September 16, 2022.
Schools Re-Open Amid Tight School Calendar