All set for pioneer grade 9 transition as schools open for first term
Learners in basic education institutions across the country will begin the first term of the 2025 academic calendar on Monday, January 6, 2025.
This year, there will be no form one intake but instead, the country will witness the pioneer cohort of the competency-based curriculum transit to grade 9.
According to the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, the construction of 16,000 classrooms for grade 9 learners is 93% complete.
“The pioneer cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum will transit to Grade 9 this Term. This is a major milestone in the roll-out of this transformative curriculum. To ensure a seamless transition to Grade 9, the Government initiated the construction of 16,000 classrooms countrywide in four phases. Tie completion status thus far is at 93%” the CS explained.
Where classes are not ready, alternative spaces within the school and merging streams where class sizes allow will be used as temporary measures.
He added “In the few instances where part of the construction works have not been fully finalised, our field officers and heads of institutions are under instruction to effect temporary measures to ensure that all learners are accommodated. These measures will include using alternative spaces within the school and merging streams where class sizes allow”.
On teachers, the Government, through the Teachers Service Commission, has employed a total of 76,928 teachers. Of these, 56,928 are on permanent and pensionable terms while 20,000 are intern teachers.
“Qualified primary school teachers will be deployed to Junior Schools to progressively ensure that each school is adequately staffed” Ogamba assured.
The Ministry of Education says 9,926,618 textbooks have been dispatched to schools countrywide. In terms of capitation, the ministry will disburse Ksh48.4 billion, which is 50% of the capitation due to schools this academic year.
In term two, schools will receive 30% of the capitation while the balance of 20% will be disbursed in term three.
Ksh4.1 billion will go towards Free Primary Education, Ksh15.3 billion towards Free Day Junior School Education and Ks28.9 billion is for Free Day Secondary School Education.
Safety measures
On the safety of learners, the 348 schools whose boarding sections were identified for closure will be re-opened only upon demonstrating compliance with safety protocol.
Additionally, no school bus or vehicle ferrying learners will be allowed on the road before 6 am and after 6 pm.
Parents and guardians are also being called upon to register under the Social Health Authority and to include their school-going children as dependants for appropriate health coverage.
According to CS Ogamba, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment learner report will be accessible to school portals in the week commencing Monday, January, 6th, 2025 while Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination results will be released in the second week of January 2025.
The 2025 academic calendar indicates that the first term will run for 13 weeks, concluding on April 4, 2025.
Learners will have a half-term break from February 26 to March 2, 2025. The second term will begin on April 28 and end on August 1, 2025, while the third term will run from August 25 to October 24, 2025.
The Kenya Primary Education Assessment (KPSEA) will take place from October 27 to October 30, 2025.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations will be held from November 3 to November 21, 2025.
Finally, the CS thanked teachers, parents and guardians, learners and all Kenyans in general, for their support and input in building an effective and efficient education system.
“As we stand at this pivotal transformative stage of education sector reforms, we look forward to continued collaboration and partnership in addressing revamping our education system” he stated.
Reporting by Nancy Okware