Alright, the school calendar just dropped, and it's packed. Kenya's Ministry of Education released the full schedule for 2026, covering everything from pre-primary to teacher colleges. Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok signed off on the circular, which was sent to top officials like Education CS Julius Ogamba and then out to all regional and county education directors. The year for basic education schools kicks off on January fifth.
The first term runs thirteen weeks, starting January fifth and ending April second. A five-day half-term break is set for late February. After a three-week April holiday, term two starts April twenty-seventh for a fourteen-week stretch, featuring another half-term in June and closing July thirty-first. That's followed by a three-week August break. The final term, term three, is only nine weeks long, from August twenty-fourth to October twenty-third.
All the major national exams have their dates locked in, too. The KPSEA and KILEA assessments start on October twenty-sixth for five days, while the KJSEA and KPLEA begin on the same date for a seven-day period. The big KCSE exams for secondary students are scheduled over three weeks from November second through November 20th. Students then get a massive ten-week December holiday, running from October twenty-sixth all the way to January first of 2027.
Diploma Teachers Training Colleges will follow a nearly identical calendar, with their third term lasting a bit longer, until November sixth, and their long holiday starting November ninth. The ministry also reaffirmed a standing rule, explicitly banning all activities and visits to secondary schools during that final term in 2026, per earlier directives.
The first term runs thirteen weeks, starting January fifth and ending April second. A five-day half-term break is set for late February. After a three-week April holiday, term two starts April twenty-seventh for a fourteen-week stretch, featuring another half-term in June and closing July thirty-first. That's followed by a three-week August break. The final term, term three, is only nine weeks long, from August twenty-fourth to October twenty-third.
All the major national exams have their dates locked in, too. The KPSEA and KILEA assessments start on October twenty-sixth for five days, while the KJSEA and KPLEA begin on the same date for a seven-day period. The big KCSE exams for secondary students are scheduled over three weeks from November second through November 20th. Students then get a massive ten-week December holiday, running from October twenty-sixth all the way to January first of 2027.
Diploma Teachers Training Colleges will follow a nearly identical calendar, with their third term lasting a bit longer, until November sixth, and their long holiday starting November ninth. The ministry also reaffirmed a standing rule, explicitly banning all activities and visits to secondary schools during that final term in 2026, per earlier directives.
