Schools will be forced to set up crash programs to cover the curriculum after a four-week shortfall in the next academic year.
The 2022 school education calendar, which begins in two weeks, will go down in history as one of the shortest ever in the country’s education history. Unlike the 2021 calendar, which was spread over 30 weeks, learners would be expected to cover the syllabus in only 26 week in the 2022 academic year.
A top education ministry official said teachers would be forced to develop an elaborate program to cover as much as possible within the time available.
“The kids will be in school for very little time and there will be so much to cover. Within the stipulated time, weeks are set for the exam, so that means a shorter academic year too,” said the official, who could not be identified as he is not the spokesperson. The official said this is an even more difficult moment for the exam classes, which include candidates for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and competency-based courses (CBC) grade six.
All three classes are expected to take the exams between late November and December.
In the revised calendar, developed to cover the nine-month break brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Term One begins on April 25 and ends on July 1. Despite the short period, there will still be a half-period break. of three days running from 26-29 May.
One week off will run from July 2 to July 10 and the second term will run from July 11 to September 16.
Second holiday.
There will also be a mid-term holiday on August 11 to 14, while the second holiday for learners will be from September 17 to 25.
The third term will start from 26 September and end on 25 November.
This will then pave the way for the KCPE exam to be conducted from November 28 to December 1, while the KCSE exam will be conducted for three weeks from December 1 to December 23.
As per the schedule, the KCSE marking will be held from January 2 to 20 next year. “It is a tight education calendar for learners and teachers and for this they will need to plan accordingly, not forgetting that this is also an election year,” the official said. The Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof. George Magoha, said last week that the first grade six national assessment is to be administered in December.
It is expected that this national assessment will account for 40 per cent of a candidate’s final score, while the remaining 60 per cent will come from class teacher scores obtained from school-based assessment in classes four, five and six, Magoha said when he Released 2021 KCPE Result.
The minister said the new test is expected to emphasize both formative and summative assessments, which will not only reduce the cut-off competition seen under the 8-4-4 system, but will also encourage cheating in examinations. .
“I also want to assure my successor that I have ensured that the grade six national assessment is ready and he will simply need to oversee its administration,” the CS said.
It is also worth noting that the Ministry allowed the gradual resumption of internal co-curricular activities and directed inter-school competitions, unlike the previous academic year, when teachers opted for co-curricular activities to cover the syllabus. Used to use different time.
Principal Secretary for Education Dr Julius Jawan last year directed principals to involve learners in internal co-curricular activities and competitions during weekends and after classes.
“On October 18, the Ministry of Health recommended that inter-school sports activities may resume gradually, strictly adhering to the current guidelines framed by the Ministry of Education. The initial focus should be on non-contact or low-contact activities as directed in protocol,” PS said in a circular to regional, county and sub-county directors of education issued last November.
