The Ministry of Education has announced major changes to the school calendar amid ongoing student unrest that has led to the closure of over 200 schools in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, June 10, at Jogoo House, Nairobi, Ogamba said effective next year, the school calendar will be rationalized to ensure balanced terms.
“Starting next academic year, the Ministry shall rationalize the school calendar to ensure balanced terms across the school year,” said Ogamba.
Under the plan, all the terms will have 12 weeks of learning, marking a departure from the current structure where the first term runs for 12 weeks, the second 14 weeks, and the third 9 weeks.
“The first term is 12 weeks, the second term is 14 weeks, and the third term is 9 weeks. We are now going to rationalise that and have 12 weeks across the board,” said CS Ogamba.
The move is part of the major reforms the Ministry is putting in place to reduce learner fatigue and restore order in schools.
“From the next academic year, school terms will be rationalised as part of the reforms we are doing to ensure that our students do not get exhausted,” he added.
The CS maintained that the current school calendar will remain unchanged, with mid-term break set to begin from June 24 to June 28, 2026. He urged parents to provide guidance and support to learners during the break.
“The mid-term break for the Second Term of the 2026 School Year will take place as scheduled, from 24th June 2026 to 28th June 2026.”
“Parents are urged to use the break to spend time with their children and to provide guidance and support to them. Any grievances or concerns should be articulated appropriately and shared with schools,” Ogamba directed.
The CS confirmed that at least 204 senior schools have been affected by the ongoing unrest. He added that 59 of the affected schools have already resumed learning activities, with more expected to join the race.
In a bid to contain the issue of school unrest, Ogamba has announced the formation of a multi-stakeholder team to review the causes of unrest and make recommendations on effective strategies.
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