As the festive season draws to a close, with families wrapping up travels, reunions, and vacations, preparations are already underway for the start of the new school term.
Millions of learners are expected to be back in their classrooms from next week, for the first term of the 2026 academic year, marking the end of the long December holiday.
The return marks the start of the busy academic cycle for learners in pre-primary, primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary schools, as well as universities and other tertiary institutions, in the next three months.
According to an academic calendar issued by the Ministry of Education, the majority of schools will open before January 10, after a break that runs for close to two months.
According to the calendar, all schools are expected to commence their first terms on January 5, 2026, and after 13 weeks of learning, they will close for a short break on April 2, 2026.
Learners are then expected to proceed on a three-week April holiday before resuming for the second term on April 27, 2026.
The ministry noted that the first term will include a half-term break that will be taken between February 25 and March 1, 2026, which will give students and teachers five days off before continuing with the remainder of the term.
Not everyone enjoys the festive season to the fullest. For parents and guardians, this period doubles as a time for preparation, including purchasing uniforms, books, and other supplies. For many parents and guardians, the festive period is also hectic.
2026 will be particularly unique since the pioneer cohort of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) is expected to transition to junior secondary school in mid-January.
The first cohort of grade 10 in junior secondary school is set to report at their respective institutions by January 12, 2026, according to the Ministry of Education.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that 1,130,459 learners sat for the examinations, comprising 578,630 boys and 551,829 girls.
"All schools, both public and private, shall admit Grade 10 through KEMIS. No principal shall enter a learner into KEMIS before he/she reports to the school physically. Daily online reporting shall be monitored through KEMIS," a guideline from the ministry read.
