Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha on Thursday, June 18, announced that the secondary and primary school final examinations would be taken in April 2021 if the scheduled September 2020 reopening was successful.
Magoha was set to tour Nakuru Girls High School to inspect the institution ahead of a possible reopening that has been marked for September.
"KCSE and KCPE candidates to sit the exam in April 2021 if schools reopen in September. The earliest KCPE and KCSE exams can take place is February and the latest is April," noted the Education CS while addressing the media in Nakuru.
Should schools open in September, students around the country will have stayed home for up to six months, missing a huge chunk of the syllabus.
There have been reports of class eight and form four candidates being handed priority ahead of the planned gradual reopening of schools.
The new exam dates are aimed at providing students with ample time to complete the syllabus.
While some schools have been continuing with their studies through online classes, majority of students across the country have been left out due to lack of equipment required to access the classes.
The Education CS has been on a tour around the country to assess the preparedness of schools to deal with Covid-19 should they open in September.
On Sunday, June 14 Magoha visited Kakamega Primary School which back in February was the scene of a stampede tragedy that saw 14 students lose their lives.
During his visit, Magoha noted that the government will provide two washable facemasks for students when schools reopen but called upon parents to buy more.
President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the closure of schools on Sunday, March 15 to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus.
"We have suspended learning in all our educational institutions with immediate effect. For those in boarding schools, the school administration is to ensure that students are home by Wednesday," stated Uhuru.
