The marking exercise for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination that started three weeks ago has officially ended today.
I take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated examiners and a committed team of Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission officials who worked tirelessly to ensure this exercise, which took place in 35 centres countrywide, was executed well.
I also wish to thank the Ministry of Interior and Co–ordination of National Government, headed by CS Dr. Fred Matiang‘i, for providing security to the teachers and examination scripts during the marking exercise and the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, headed by CS Joe Mucheru for providing competent Data entry personnel. We must not forget the excellent services provided by all Principals who organised the examination marking at all the centres. Our decision to increase the number of marking centres this year enabled us to comply with the social distancing requirements in line with the Ministry of Health guidelines.
Over the next couple of days, we will move to the next level of processing the outputs of the just concluded marking exercise with the hope that we will release the KCSE Examination results as soon as possible.
OPENING FOR THE THIRD TERM OF THE 2020 CALENDAR
As you are aware, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on May 1, 2021 that the opening of schools for the Third Term of the 2020 Academic Calendar will go on as scheduled.
I, therefore, wish to affirm that all primary and secondary schools will open on Monday, May 10th, 2021 for the Third Term, which will run to July 16th, 2021. Learners expected to report to their schools are those in PP1 and PP2, Grade 1–3, Standard 5 – 7 and Form 1 to Form 3.
I wish to emphasize that Grade Four learners will remain at home until July 26th, 2021 when schools will open for the First Term of the 2021 Academic Calendar. This is necessary because the Grade Four learners were part of the first batch of learners who reopened in the first case of the phased resumption of learning after the COVID–19 closure in October 2020.
We have received reports that some private schools are planning to recall Grade Four learners together with other groups that are expected to open on Monday. Such schools must stop this plan and allow all public and private learning institutions to adhere to the stipulated calendar. Stern action will be taken against schools that reopen for Grade Four candidates. The Grade Four learners must be allowed to study at home until they join Grade 5 on July 26, 2021.
The Government has released Ksh.7.5 billion to secondary schools ahead of the schools reopening. We have also made a request to the National Treasury for the release of a further Ksh.13 billion for the secondary schools and Ksh.2.8 billion for primary schools. We therefore hope that schools will be adequately prepared to put in place measures to adhere to the Ministry of Health COVID–19 protocols.
The Ministry has already released a circular to all field officers to ensure that all schools are ready to accept learners on Monday and that they are all prepared to comply with the Ministry of Health‘s COVID–19 measures.