President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, November 12, issued the Ministry of Education with a 14 days deadline to announce the 2021 academic calendar.
Speaking from Parliament, during the State of the Nation Address, the president stated that the Ministry, led by CS George Magoha, should lay out a calendar bearing in mind that learning for other classes was expected to resume in January 2021.
For Class 8, Form 4 and Grade 4 students, the president stated that they were being closely monitored to ensure that they were safe in schools.
"The gradual and phased reopening of schools that began with the examination classes is being carefully monitored at all levels so as to ensure that our young Kenyans are safe and secure as they continue preparing for their national examinations," the president stated.
He assured the parliament sitting that the journey to replace the 8.4.4 system with the new fit-for-purpose curricula was well underway, and refinements were being undertaken in the course of implementation.
"In January last year, we successfully commenced the roll-out of the Competency Based Curriculum, an exercise, which, while not without its challenges, is one that has nevertheless been fully embraced by all stakeholders in the education sector," the president maintained.
The Head of State acknowledged that for the second year running, the government had been able to achieve a transition rate of 100% from primary to secondary schools.
The president stated that significant financial resources would be deployed towards the construction of at least 12,500 new classrooms and related school facilities.
"In that regard, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development will by 1st December, 2020 issue a new set of building guidelines for school infrastructure," he continued.
This, he stated, would allow the use of appropriate and cost effective building technologies suited to the varied geographies in the country.
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