How The Forthcoming Elections Will Disrupt School Academic Calendar

The ministry of education’s order for the closure of all schools by 2^nd August 2022 to allow for proper preparations for the general elections has the potential of throwing the already chaotic school calendar into another array of confusion.

The abrupt announcement made on the afternoon of Monday 1^st August means that the rush by most schools to complete the syllabus to allow them to get back to the normal calendar will automatically be disrupted.

The traditional school calendar was reshuffled when covid 19 hit the country in 2022. The 2022 academic year began on April 25.

The KCSE and KCPE exams for 2021 were pushed to March 2022. Term two of the reorganized calendar began on July 11 and is supposed to end on September 16. Meanwhile, students were supposed to have the mid-term holiday from August 11 to 14.

As per the instructions given by Education CS George Magoha, any earlier communications concerning the closure of basic education institutions should be discarded.

The CS stated that all schools will resume learning on 11^th August 2022 after the general elections.

Concerns have however emerged that Magoha’s decision to close schools came abruptly and students resuming learning on 11^th August is absurd.

What if there is a rerun of elections or the announcement of poll results is delayed due to unavoidable issues? If this is the case, then the holiday will be extended beyond August 11.

Moreover, if the above possibilities are accompanied by poll-related chaos then the extension could be indefinite.

Now, if all these possibilities happen then so much will be at stake in the education sector, especially on the side of the learners.

A prolonged closure could cause delays in syllabus coverage for the students expected to take the national examinations in November and December 2022.

The KCPE exams will be held between November 28^th and December 1^st while the KCSE exams between December 1^st and December 23^rd.

The Grade six learners are also expected to take the Kenya National Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) under the Competency-Based Curriculum.

If there is no clear winner for the August polls, then there is a possibility of the country holding new elections on September 9 or 12 as stipulated in the constitution.

That means schools will close again just when they will either be sitting or preparing to sit for their end-term exams.

If all the mentioned scenarios occur, then it means term three set for September 2022 might be pushed and new dates set.

According to the Parents Association, the government considered all these possibilities before announcing the closure.

‘If anything happens, we can still announce new dates. We will still open schools on 11^th August and before the repeat of elections, if there is, then we will also close schools to necessitate the IEBC to carry out their roles”, Parents Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo said.

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