Candidates to sit for national exams in March despite Covid-19, Magoha says

National examinations for the 1.9 million KCPE and KCSE candidates set to start in March will go on as scheduled, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said.

Magoha said that there are no plans to shut schools for the Grade Four, Class Eight and Form Four learners who resumed classes three weeks ago.

“There are no changes and we are not planning to shut down because of Covid-19,” said Magoha.

He said the national tests will be administered early next year as scheduled.

“For now the timetable for examinations remains and children should be urged to continue preparing,” said Magoha.

He was speaking after assessing learning in schools and inspecting desks delivery at Nairobi’s Uhuru Garden Primary School.

Under the revised school calendar, the 2020 KCPE candidates are scheduled to sit exams starting March 22, 2021, just two days after end of the third term.

According to the timetable, the three days examinations will end on March 24. This will just be a day to start of the KCSE exams that will last three weeks and three days.

Magoha said marking of the two national examinations would be spread between April 19 and May 7.

Overall, the school calendar planned the second term to start October 12 for some 11 weeks.

Learners are expected to break on December 23 only a week after which they will start third term in January. 

According to the initial plan, the rest of the learners were to start schools two to three weeks after the opening of the three classes.

The new plan was to start third term in January for 11 weeks, with lessons ending March 19, 2021.

All the candidates were scheduled to sit national exams next year. This also meant that the present class seven learners would sit national examinations later next year.

If all go as planned, the normal January to December academic year would start in 2022.

But speaking yesterday, Magoha said the government is still considering opening schools for the rest of learners.

“Yes Covid-19 is spiking and it is not only in this country. What we are grappling with is whether to open for the other children or not,” said Magoha.