All private and public schools closed
The government has ordered the closure of all public and private schools in Kenya starting Monday following the teachers strike.
However, the national exams will continue as planned while Form 4 students and class 8 pupils will be allowed to stay in school. KCSE starts on October 12 while KCPE starts on November 10.
In a circular sent to education officials, Education Secretary Leah Rotich said they had revised the school term dates for both private and public schools.
The circular said that Standard One to Standard Seven pupils and Form One to Form Three students would go home, as there was no learning going on since the commencement of the strike.
“The revision of the time dates for primary and secondary schools has been necessitated by the fact that very little or no learning has been going in most of these institutions in the last three weeks with the exception of the examination classes,” said Ms Rotich.
The Education Secretary has asked the teachers to continue assisting the 2015 candidates for the examination.
“It is expected that TSC teachers who are in school and BOM teachers will continue to teach and prepare KCPE and KCSE candidates, those already engaged in Knec examination management will also be expected to perform their duties as per the Knec Act 2012,’” said Ms Rotich.
FEES REFUND
The education boss however did not say whether they would refund money to private schools parents who had already paid full school fees for Third Term.
Last year, when schools lost three weeks due to strike, the Education PS asked parents to liase with their specific schools to have the money refunded or to forwarded to the next term
On Friday, Kenya National Examination Council launched this years’ national examination and gave the dates and numbers of those scheduled to sit the tests.
Kenya National Examination Council Secretary Joseph Kivilu said that they have registered 937,467 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidates and 525,802 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination candidates.
He added that KCPE will commence on November 10 and end on November 12 whereas KCSE theory papers will start on October 12
The Education Secretary said that learners being left idle under the care of few teachers had resulted to tension building up among them.
“Some of the incidences of insecurity in schools had been reported by the heads of institutions and field officers during the said period,” Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi said.
He added that the ministry of education needed to safeguard the security of learners and staff and school property.