Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok at Pioneer School in Murang’a County during a Grade 10 academic clinic on June 6, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERAThe Ministry of Education has ruled out reviewing the school calendar or introducing an early second-term break despite growing calls for the move following a recent wave of unrest in secondary schools across the country.
Speaking at Pioneer School in Murang’a County during a Grade 10 academic clinic, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said learning remains largely uninterrupted in most schools, arguing that the disturbances have only affected a small fraction of institutions.
“We have no plans for unscheduled closure of schools. Learning is continuing normally in 99 per cent of our schools while only around 0.8 per cent have issues. Our focus is on addressing the challenges in the few affected institutions while ensuring that all learners continue with their education without disruption,” said Bitok.
His remarks come amid increasing pressure on the Ministry of Education to review the second-term calendar after a series of school fires and unrest incidents reported in different parts of the country.
Some leaders, including Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, have urged the ministry to consider restructuring the lengthy second term and introducing additional breaks to ease pressure on learners.
Bitok, however, maintained that there was no justification for altering the academic calendar, noting that less than 80 schools out of more than 52,000 across the country had experienced challenges.
The PS said the second-term midterm break will proceed as scheduled, adding that the government's focus remains on resolving issues in the affected schools while safeguarding learning in the rest of the country.
He said the ministry has launched a nationwide safety audit of boarding schools, expected to be completed within the next 10 days, and deployed 1,000 quality assurance officers to support the exercise.
“We are telling parents and teachers to strengthen guidance and counselling, strengthen student leadership structures and engage learners through dialogue so that concerns are addressed before they escalate,” he said.
Bitok acknowledged that mock examination-related pressure had emerged as one of the factors contributing to tensions in some schools and urged principals and boards of management to adopt a more flexible approach when handling learners' concerns.
“What we are saying is that if students express anxieties or say they are not ready, there is no point in forcing them. You would rather postpone the tests than have a burnt-down institution,” he said.
The PS also challenged school administrators to embrace modern leadership approaches, noting that today's learners are more informed and increasingly aware of their rights and freedoms.
On the rollout of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), Bitok warned that schools that fail to register on the platform, submit accurate enrolment data or meet licensing requirements risk missing out on government capitation funds.
“KEMIS marks a critical milestone in ensuring that data-driven decision-making becomes the cornerstone of education planning and service delivery in Kenya,” he said.
The government is expected to begin piloting KEMIS in July, replacing the current National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), as part of efforts to improve transparency, eliminate ghost schools and learners, and enhance the allocation of education resources.
The platform will consolidate data from Early Childhood
Development Education (ECDE) to university level, helping improve transparency
in resource allocation while eliminating ghost schools and inflated enrolment
figures that have in the past affected capitation disbursements.
