The government has confirmed that the school calendar will proceed as planned, with the mid-term break beginning on June 24, despite rising unrest in several boarding schools across the country.
Speaking on June 8 at a school in Nairobi during the ongoing 10-day inspection exercise, Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Basic Education, maintained that learning programs must continue without disruption.
Bitok dismissed calls to review the term dates, stating that isolated incidents of student indiscipline would not influence national education scheduling.
“We will not change the dates because of a few students attempting to disrupt learning in our schools. The school calendar will remain unchanged. Half-term break will begin on 24th of June as earlier communicated,” Julius Bitok said.
PS Julius Bitok Says Only 80 of 9,500 Schools Affected as 99.2% Continue Learning
According to Julius Bitok, the student unrest has affected about 80 schools out of approximately 9,500 nationwide, meaning most institutions continue to operate normally.
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“Right now, we have about 80 schools with unrest out of 9,500 schools. So, 99.2 percent of our learning is ongoing. Because of 0.8 percent, we cannot interrupt the calendar of the rest,” Julius Bitok explained.
The Principal Secretary added that the government has strengthened school oversight through an expanded inspection system to improve safety and learning standards in learning institutions.
The number of quality assurance officers has increased from 600 to 1,000, with plans to double the figure to 2,000 within a year.
Julius Bitok said the officers will now be renamed school inspectors and will have a wider role, including checking how lessons are taught, school facilities, student welfare, and school leadership.
He added that the ongoing nationwide inspection is expected to provide information that will help the government take further action to improve student discipline, safety, and learning conditions.
The PS also said early reports show that teachers, school leaders, and students are working together to maintain stability in schools.
Learning, he said, continues as planned in most schools, even as the Ministry intensifies engagement with stakeholders to address emerging challenges.
PS Bitok Rules Out Early School Closure Following Unrest
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok had earlier dismissed the possibility of closing schools before the scheduled date due to the recent wave of unrest reported at various institutions across the country.
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Speaking on Thursday, June 4, during the Speech and Prize-Giving Day at Kenya High School, Julius Bitok assured students and parents that the situation is under control and does not warrant disruption of the academic calendar.
Bitok explained that the Ministry of Education is addressing incidents in affected schools through ongoing engagement with learners, with a nationwide review of safety measures in learning institutions.
The PS acknowledged that some parts of the country have experienced disruptions to learning but maintained that the government is actively working with relevant stakeholders to restore normal operations, protect students, and ensure continuity in education.
Several secondary schools have experienced unrest, resulting in temporary closures and disruptions to learning activities just weeks before the planned mid-term break.
The second term began on April 27 and is scheduled to run for 14 weeks, with schools expected to close on July 31. Students are also approaching the mid-term break, scheduled for June 24 to June 28.
After the second term, learners will proceed for the August holiday, which will last three weeks and end on August 21. The third term will then begin on August 24 and run for nine weeks, ending on October 23.
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