Dates of official term three school closures Unveiled checkout
The Ministry of Education has revised the closing dates for term three of the 2024 school year for primary and secondary institutions. Initially set for October 25, 2024, schools will now close on October 24, 2024, a day earlier to allow adequate time for the preparation and rehearsal of the national examinations, namely the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Intermediate Learner Education Assessment (KILEA). These exams are part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) assessment process.
Term Three Duration and Calendar Adjustments:
Schools reopened on August 26, 2024, for the third term, which will run for nine weeks. With the closure now scheduled for October 24, 2024, students will go on a 10-week break as the education system prepares for national assessments.
National Examinations:
Following the adjusted school closure, rehearsals for the KPSEA and KILEA assessments will take place on October 25, 2024, while the actual assessments will run from October 28 to October 31, 2024. Additionally, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which plays a crucial role in determining students’ transition to tertiary education, will begin on October 22, 2024, following rehearsals on October 18, 2024, and is scheduled to end on November 22, 2024.
Key Changes in Examination Protocols:
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has introduced significant changes to the administration of national examinations:
- Personalized Exam Papers: For the first time, candidates’ details—name, index number, and school—will be pre-printed on each exam paper. However, the section containing this information will be removed before marking to ensure anonymity and fairness during the evaluation process.
- Cheating Accountability: A notable change in policy dictates that individual candidates caught cheating will be held personally liable for their actions. In the past, exam malpractice would often affect the entire school or examination center, but now only the culprits will face consequences.
- Supervisor and Invigilator Deployment: Supervisors and invigilators for KCSE will be selected from secondary school teachers. There will be a weekly rotation of supervisors, who must prepare brief handover notes for incoming colleagues. Additionally, these teachers must be employed, registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and have a clean record of integrity.
Deployment Rules:
The deployment process is strict, with measures such as ensuring supervisors and invigilators are not placed in schools where they have worked in the past two years or where they have vested interests. The CP2 system has been designed to prevent the assignment of teachers to centers they have served in consecutively. Both the hosting and hosted centers must have separate managers to ensure proper oversight.
Exam Schedule Summary:
| Exam/Assessment | Rehearsal Date | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCSE | October 18, 2024 | October 22, 2024 | November 22, 2024 |
| KPSEA | October 25, 2024 | October 28, 2024 | October 30, 2024 |
| KILEA | October 25, 2024 | October 28, 2024 | October 31, 2024 |
These updates reflect the government’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of national examinations and ensuring smooth transitions across different educational levels.
