Heads of Secondary Schools in Kisumu County have now asked the Ministry of Education to put co-curricular activities on one side in learning institutions in order to recover lost time in the academic calendar.
Recently before August 9, 2022, General Elections, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha announced that schools be closed from the 2nd of August to the 10th of August 2022 to allow for adequate preparations and conducting of the General elections.
However, the reopening of schools was further delayed till the 18th of August 2022 to allow for tallying and tallying of the General Election’s results.
This means that around two weeks of the academic calendar have been lost as a result of the General Elections.
Through the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KSSHA) Kisumu Chapter Chairperson Mr Opiyo Nyangwe, the Heads of Institutions said that schools are racing against time to complete the syllabi before the academic year lapses.
At the time, the Heads of Schools called on parents to be more flexible in terms of the demands they make to the government while responding to suggestions made by some parents to reduce school fees for the second term which just started.
Speaking while in Kisumu, Nyangwe said that the proposal is not realistic owing to the current high cost of living.
Opiyo implored parents to bear with the current situation in schools saying that all sectors have been hit hard by the high cost of living which includes prices of crucial commodities that are used in learning institutions.
According to Nyangwe the only thing the government can do is to extend the number of days that pupils stay in schools in order to recover the days lost due to the interruptions.
Further, Mr Opiyo said that the same can be done in the coming year when schools shall have a full calendar pending further consultations with various stakeholders.
“Some of the holidays can be shortened in order to recover the lost days,” said the Kisumu County KSSHA chairperson.