Kenya: Education CS Bans Morning and Evening Prep in Schools

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary incharge of Education, Ezekiel Machogu has banned early morning and evening classes in schools.

The CS directed that classes across all primary schools-public and private-be conducted between 8 am to 3.45 pm.

Machogu said some teachers force learners to attend organized extra classes late in the evening and early in the morning.

He was speaking at Nairobi Primary Junior Secondary School on Monday.

“The stipulated time is 8am to 3.45pm. We want our pupils to be kept away from unnecessary travel,” Machogu said.

The CS directed school heads to ensure learning takes place within stipulated timelines.

“We don’t want to subject the kids to strain. Kids should sleep for nine hours,” he added.

Machogu said students should not be subjected to long hours of study at school.

 The CS asked school heads to shun keeping students within school premises up to late in the evening beyond stipulated time.

“The syllabus should be covered appropriately between the stipulated time. Let us not subject pupils to unnecessary mental torture,” he said.

The CS warned of a trend where school buses are seen picking kids as early as 5 am taking them to school for early morning classes.

In the evening, school buses are seen dropping off kids as late as 8pm.

According to a circular signed by Early Learning and Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang, students will break for half term from March 16 to March 19.

Initially, the learners were to break on March 23 and resume on March 26.

The circular was copied to Education CS Ezekiel Machogu, TSC Secretary Nancy Macharia and KNEC CEO David Njengere.

“KCPE and KPSEA will begin on November 30 and end on November 2,” the circular reads.

This means the exam will take four days just like the initial calendar.

Students writing KCSE will also sit the exams from November 3 to November 24.

This takes 21 days, the initial calendar showed KCSE would take place from November 10 to December 1.