Schools to close early as Ministry makes changes to closing date

Primary and secondary schools which were scheduled to close for third term on 25th October will now close early.

The institutions which reopened on 26th August 2024 experienced some disruptions as teachers strike took toll.

In the 2024 school calendar that was released by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, primary and secondary schools are to operate for nine weeks in third term.

This means schools are remaining with six weeks before closing for the ten week holiday.

However in the wake of new rules for administration of this years national exams and assessments by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec), the Ministry has made minor changes to the schools closing date.

In the new changes schools will now close on 24th October 2024 to pave way for KPSEA and KILEA rehearsals.

The TSC, Knec and Ministry of Education have already released new rules ahead of the national exams.

The Ministry of Education through a circular has banned school visits, prayers and any meetings in the school compound during the third term.

Knec has announced a number of changes that will affect this years national exams and assessments.

1) The exam papers will be customised for each candidate, with their name, index number and school pre-printed. A departure from the past where candidates were required to write their details on the papers.

However, at the end of each paper, the section containing the candidates’ details will be torn off and packed separately to guard against examiners identifying the candidates while marking.

2) Candidates who engage in examination cheating to be held personally liable. Exam malpractice by individual candidates will not be used to punish an entire school or an examination center.

3) No extra papers will be printed in this years exams and assessments.

TSC listed the following rules to be followed for deployment of exam invigilators and supervisors.

1) Supervisors and invigilators for KCSE examination must be secondary school teachers;

2) KCSE supervisors will be rotated on weekly basis. The outgoing supervisor must prepare brief handing over notes for the incoming supervisor;

3) Deploy teachers who are qualified, employed and registered by the TSC. The deployed teachers should be of high integrity and not easily compromised;

4) Supervisors and invigilators should not be deployed to centres that they have vested interest. The supervisors, invigilators and centre managers will be required to declare interest Of the examination centre they are posted to;

5) Centre managers will be required to verify supervisors and invigilators posted in their centres by confirming their details and workstation. They will be required to take attendance on daily basis;

6) The teachers in schools with learners of Stage-Based Pathway will invigilate their own learners. For every 10 learners there should be one invigilator. These invigilators will be required to sign the declaration form like other centres. No supervisor or Centre Manager will be deployed for KILEA Centres.

7) One supervisor should be deployed for every two hundred (200) candidates. No supervisor should be deployed for hosted centres;

8) For every twenty (20) candidates, only one invigilator should be deployed. You are required to deploy invigilators to hosted centres based on the number Of candidates in the examination/assessments centre;

9) Both hosted and hosting centres must have their own centre managers. However, hosting centre manager will be expected to collect and return examination materials from the container;

10) Supervisors and invigilators should not be deployed in a centre they have served in the last two (2) consecutive years. The cp2 system has been configured to bar such teachers from being deployed;

11) Only supervisors and Invigilators who have registered in the cp2 system will be deployed to manage the 2024 national examination and assessments hence have their claims processed;

Schedule of October/November National Examination and Assessments