Kenya’s Education Minister George Magoha has announced that all students will return to school on 4 January 2021.
Currently, only final year students are in school while in some places lessons have continued online for students in other years.
The school calendar was disrupted by coronavirus.
At the onset of the pandemic, the ministry of education scrapped the entire 2020 academic year but later announced that finalists would be allowed to resume face-to-face lessons.
Magoha said on Monday that Pre Primary 1 & 2; Grade 1, 2 & 3; Class 5, 6 & 7; and Form 1, 2 & 3 learners will start their Term 2 on 4th January, 2021 and end on March 19th together with the Grade 4 and candidate classes (Class 8 and Form 4).
Magoha said that all learners, except Class 8 and Form 4 candidates, will proceed for a 7-week holiday to allow for KCPE and KCSE examinations administration and marking.
Grade 4 and incoming Form 1 (Class 8 graduates) learners will stay at home as other learners complete their Term three.
Magoha said Grade 4 CBC learners to transition to Grade 5 in July 2021.
International schools will reopen from January 4th 2021 for all learners still at home.
The Education CS George Magoha said schools are the safest environment for learners, even as the Covid-19 infection rate continues to surge.
“I wish to assure the country that the Government is determined to ensure a safe reopening and learning of our schools. In doing so, we are drawing important lessons from the partial reopening that has taken place since October,” he said.
“We are confident that we will remain on the right trajectory to finding the winning formula that will ensure our learning institutions are safe for our learners and teachers. “
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia urged teachers aged 58 years and above to stay at home.
“As this is a Presidential directive, your employers will not sack you. TSC has negotiated for teachers to be covered for Covid-19 related illnesses,” she said.
“To concentrate on paperwork as those in school work on teaching and learning.”
