Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has called for a crisis meeting with stakeholders to fulfill President Uhuru Kenyatta's order on the 2021 academic calendar.
Speaking in Machakos on Friday, November 13, Magoha disclosed that the talks would be held on Monday, November 16, ahead of the full resumption of schools planned for January 2021.
"This is where we shall also discuss and affirm exactly now the timetable for exams and the roadmap for next year and as you are aware the children will go back in January next year and as they come back they need a timetable," he stated.
The Education CS added that the meeting would also make a plan on how the examinations would be tackled for the other classes when they resume.
Earlier on Thursday, November 12, President Uhuru Kenyatta during his State of the Nation Address, issued the Ministry of Education with a 14-day-deadline to plan and announce the 2021 academic calendar.
Class 8, Form 4 and Grade 4 students have already resumed classes in the phased reopening of schools.
The head of state further assured the country that there was no cause for alarm despite the rising Covid-19 cases in Kenya.
"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.
Kenyatta further assured 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.
With the disruption of the academic calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) on Thursday, November 12, extended the deadline for schools to submit their national exam results, conducted days after the resumption of learning.
In a circular seen by Kenyans.co.ke and sent to all headteachers, KNEC announced that the deadline for uploading the scores has been extended to Friday, November 20, 2020.
The exams had a number of challenges as Headteachers from various schools complained that they were yet to receive funds to aid them in carrying out the test.
