The Ministry of Education on Friday released the school calendar for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023.
All continuing learners – Grade one to three, class five to seven, and from one to three – will resume studies on January 4 for their term two.
This will be 10 months away from school since the closure of learning institutions in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Education Ps Bello Kipsang noted that all Grade four learners will transit to Grade five in July.
He said the Grade four and incoming Form One students will remain at home as the other learners complete their Term Three. They will join in July.
Term Two learning will last 11 weeks after which students will break on March 19 for a one-week holiday.
According to the revised term dates, Term three will start on May 10, 2021, up to July 16, and preceded by a 10-day holiday before learners resume for their next academic year.
Unlike previous years where students had the luxury of long holidays before the beginning of a new academic year, next year’s Term one will begin on July 26, 2021, barely two weeks after closing.
However, learners will have a seven weeks holiday after 2022’s Term three, from March 5, 2022, to April 24, 2022.
Announcing a phased reopening for 2021, Education CS Gorge Magoha said all students will remain in their previous class in 2021.
“In consultation with the Ministry of Health, we have agreed schools to reopen when daily Covid-19 cases reduce consistently for 14 days. Social and physical distancing is the most critical factor in ensuring the safety of learners,” the CS said.
“Inter-county movement of students will cause severe challenges with high incidents of infections. We are happy to inform Kenyans that the president accepted the recommendations.”
He said the universities will only reopen only when they meet the requirements.
“Members of the senate and faculty must agree how they are going to do a phased reopening,” he said.