Parents put to notice as schools set to break for ‘half term’

Parents have started to receive notifications from schools indicating that their children will be sent home to start their mid term break.

Nursery, primary, junior and senior schools will break for ‘half term’ early next week after they reopened for first term early January.

The Ministry of Education has outlined the dates when public and private schools should go for mid term break before resuming for more school activities.

According to the released calendar of activities all schools will start their ‘half term’ on 25th February 2026.

This means schools will break for half term on Tuesday 24th February 2026. Schools will resume on Monday 2nd March 2026 to complete the other half of this term.

However secondary schools are notorious for breaking the Ministry school calendar on term dates and are likely to start their half term sometime this week.

On the other hand education officials are finalizing inspection of schools this week. The team which comprise of officers from the TSC County and Sub County Directors, Curriculum Support Officers, Ministry of Education County and Sub County Directors are on mission to check quality of education and facilities in schools.

The team which started going round schools last week, is checking on quality of sanitation, school staffing, teacher preparedness, teaching and learning materials among other stuff.

School Heads of Institutions (HOI) were required to inform their teachers on the visits so they can prepare and avail the professional documents whenever required from them.

Professional documents which teachers are required to prepare and ensure are updated include Schemes of Work, Lesson Plans, Class Attendance Register, Progress Record and Record of Work Covered.

School heads and deputies are required to have class attendance register and lesson observation forms to monitor teachers class work inline with teacher appraisal system.

Attendance register register books showing clocking in and out of schools and schools logbooks were also required to be updated.

Also on Wednesday 18th February, Muslims are starting their one month fasting during this holy month of Ramadhan.

After half term, schools will resume athletics activities which are currently at cluster levels in some sub counties.

Games teachers already attended clinics and were sensitized on rules and regulations guiding this term sporting activities.

They were advised against use of overage learners and outsiders in school competitions.

The Ministry has put an age cap for those who will be participating. In primary schools only learners aged below twelve years are eligible to play.

In junior school, a student must be below fifteen years of age to take part in the athletics competitions.

In secondary schools the Ministry has banned adults from participating. Only students aged below eighteen years will participate.

Birth certificate is mandatory for participating students. Teachers have been warned against forging birth certificates.

The ‘Kenya Primary and Junior School Sports Association’ (KPJSSA) Secretary General, Mamai Etiang, already listed this term activities for primary and junior school learners.

Primary schools learners will have Kids Athletics (8-11years), Gymnastics, Track Events, Field Events, and Cross Country.

Junior schools on the other hand will have Swimming, Athletics Track Events, Field Events, Cross Country, Rugby and Basketball.

For primary schools the Track and Field events and Cross Country will be as outlined below;

• Field Events
• 100M B/G
• 200M B/G
• 400M B/G
• 800M B/G
• 1500M B/G
• 3000M B/G
• 2000M B/G WALK RACE
• 4 X 100M B/G
• 4 X 400M B/G
• 4 X 400M MIXED RELAY

• Field events
• Long jump B/G
• High Jump B/G
• Triple Jump B/G
• Discuss B/G
• Shot put B/G
• Javelin B/G

v. Cross Country
Under 12 Boys – 1200M
Under 12 Girls – 1200M

For junior school learners there activities shall be as listed below;

• Swimming
• 100M Individual Medley                            
• 100M Breaststroke
• 100M Butterfly
• 100M Freestyle
• 100M Backstroke
• 50M Butterfly
• 50M Breastroke
• 50M Freestyle
• 50M Backstroke
• 100M Medley relay
• 100M Freestyle relay
• 200M Freestyle relay
• 200M Medley Relays

Rugby 7s
Basketball 5X5

Athletics Track Events

• 100M B/G
• 200M B/G
• 400M B/G
• 800M B/G
• 1500M B/G
• 3000M B/G
• 5000M B/G
• 3000M B/G – Walk Race
• 100M G – Hurdles
• 110M B –  Hurdles 
• 400M B/G Hurdles
• 2000M B/G Steeplechase
• 4 x 100M B/G ü 4 X 400M B/G

Field Events

• Long jump B/G ü High Jump B/G
• Triple Jump B/G
• Discuss B/G
• Shot put B/G
• Javelin B/G vi. Cross Country 
• U15 Boys – 3500M
• U15 Girls –  2500M

Below are the 2026 Term dates for Basic Education Institutions.

PRE-PRIMARY, PRIMARY, JUNIOR, SENIOR AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TERM DATES 2026

1. KPSEA — Kenya Primary Education Assessment.
2. KILEA — Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment.
3. KJSEA -Kenya Junior School Education Assessment.
4. KPLEA — Kenya Pre-Vocational Izvcl Educaüon Assessment

DIPLOMA TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGES ACADEMIC CALENDAR, 2026