The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates have everybody’s full attention as we begin the crucial third term following yesterday’s reopening of schools.
The third term will last for only nine weeks ending on the 4th of March effectively making it the shortest term this year. There is no mid-term break this term.
The revised academic calendar has the 2021 KCPE examinations starting on the 7th of March through to the 10th of March 10. On the other hand, the KCSE examinations will be held between the 11th of March and the 1st of April.
With the school calendar set to normalize next year, this will make this year’s national examinations the last to be done outside the traditional months of November and December.
At the end of this year Class 7 and Form, 3 students will sit for their national examinations in November and December. KCPE will start on the 28th of November and end on the 1st of December. The KCSE examination will be done from December 1 to December 23.
Last week the CS for Education revealed that it will be a challenge for the education sector to ensure the safety of the national examinations.
“2022 will determine whether or not the transformation we have implemented at the Kenya National Examinations Council is sustainable,” said Prof George Magoha.
This is because this year there will be five examinations instead of the normal two,” he said.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Chairperson Kahi Indimuli said that most schools have already completed the syllabus for the finalist classes.
Besides, he stated that only time will allow for adequate preparation and refining of students for the KCSE and KCPE examinations.
For parents, there is a feeling that principals have been imposing illegal fees without the approval of the government.
The Kenya Parents Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo revealed that some principals have been defiant and have not been following the Ministry of Education’s guidelines on school fees.
“At the moment we are talking with the Ministry of Education to help in enforcing the directive and from tomorrow, we will start forwarding the names of those who are not following the directive,” Maiyo told the Star on Sunday.
Having to pay school fees for four terms obviously affected parents hence the call for a review on the payment of school fees. This was also during the financial stress experienced following the reopening of schools after they had to be closed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The adjusted academic calendar meant that parents had to pay schools fees in the months of January, May, July and October as this was at the beginning of different terms. This week parents will again pay school fees for this term, placing an uphill task for parents as they strive to ensure their children get their deserved education.