NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ministry of Education has tightened restrictions on school activities during Third Term, moving events such as annual general meetings, prize-giving ceremonies and dedicated candidate prayer days to earlier terms as schools prepare for the 2026 national examinations and assessments.
The measures are intended to give candidates uninterrupted time to revise while allowing schools to complete the curriculum and prepare for the administration of national examinations.
Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa issued the directive in a circular dated Thursday, September 3, 2026, as schools entered the final stretch of the academic year.
“To facilitate effective preparation for and administration of these national assessments and examinations and to minimise disruption, the ministry has deemed it necessary to regulate co-curricular, social and external-engagement activities throughout Third Term and the national assessment and examination period,” the circular stated.
2026 national examinations calendar
The restrictions come as schools approach a busy national examination period.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations are scheduled to run from October 19 to November 20, 2026.
The written papers for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will be administered from October 26 to 28.
The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) will run from October 26 to 30.
The Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment is scheduled for October 26 to 29.
With several assessments taking place simultaneously, the ministry says schools must minimise activities that could interfere with preparation or examination administration.
What schools can do
Schools will still be permitted to conduct regular internal worship sessions.
The sessions must be conducted internally by school chaplains and teachers.
However, candidate-focused prayer activities involving parents, visitors or other people from outside the school will not be permitted during the examination period.
The ministry has also directed education officers to remain available throughout the examination and assessment period by cancelling their annual leave.
Regional, county and subcounty directors of education have been tasked with implementing the directive and ensuring schools comply with the new restrictions.
Activities moved to earlier terms
Schools will no longer be allowed to hold Annual General Meetings (AGMs) during Third Term.
The ministry has directed schools to schedule AGMs during either First or Second Term instead.
Prize-giving ceremonies, thanksgiving events and dedicated prayer days for candidates have similarly been moved to Second Term.
The changes are intended to reduce the number of social, ceremonial and external activities taking place when schools should be concentrating on examination preparation.
The directive effectively requires school administrators to plan such events earlier in the academic year.
Third Term critical for candidates
The restrictions are particularly significant because Third Term lasts only nine weeks, making it the shortest learning period in the school calendar.
Despite its shorter duration, the term is critical for candidates sitting national examinations and assessments.
Schools are expected to use the available weeks to complete syllabuses, conduct revision and prepare candidates for examinations while maintaining normal learning for pupils in other classes.
First Term runs for 13 weeks, while Second Term lasts 14 weeks.
The ministry’s decision therefore seeks to protect the limited instructional time available during Third Term from activities that could disrupt learning.
Examination preparations already underway
The new restrictions come as preparations for the 2026 examinations intensify.
The Teachers Service Commission has begun the process of selecting teachers who will participate in the administration of the national examinations and assessments.
Curriculum Support Officers are collecting candidate information from school heads as part of preparations for the examination period.
Subcounty directors of education have also been directed to submit qualified centre managers, supervisors and invigilators to the Kenya National Examinations Council’s CP2 online portal by late September.
The coordination of personnel is expected to be crucial as the examination period will involve candidates across different levels of the education system.
Education officers’ leave cancelled
The ministry has also ordered education officers to remain on duty throughout the examination and assessment period.
The cancellation of annual leave is intended to ensure that regional, county and subcounty education offices have adequate personnel available to support schools and respond to issues that may arise during the national examinations.
Directors of education at the three levels have been given responsibility for implementing the directive.
The ministry’s approach reflects the need for closer administrative supervision during a period when thousands of schools will be involved in national assessments.
Second Term may be shortened from 2027
The latest directive comes against the backdrop of broader changes being considered for Kenya’s school calendar.
In June, the Ministry of Education announced plans to shorten Second Term from the 2027 academic year.
The proposed adjustment is intended to create a better balance between the three terms and reduce the unusually long duration of Second Term.
The review followed concerns over learner fatigue and stress after a wave of unrest and dormitory fires that led to the closure of at least 204 secondary schools.
The ministry linked the calendar review to concerns about the pressure associated with the lengthy term.
The proposed changes are therefore part of a wider discussion about learner welfare, school safety and the structure of the academic calendar.
Schools urged to focus on learning
For 2026, however, the immediate priority is the successful completion of the academic year and administration of the national examinations and assessments.
The ministry’s latest directive means schools will need to bring forward activities that have traditionally been held towards the end of the academic year.
AGMs will have to be conducted during First or Second Term, while prize-giving ceremonies, thanksgiving events and dedicated candidate prayer days are expected to take place in Second Term.
During Third Term and the examination period, schools will be expected to minimise social and external engagements and concentrate on teaching, revision and examination preparedness.
The restrictions also place greater responsibility on school administrators to plan the academic calendar carefully so that important institutional activities do not compete with the limited instructional time available to candidates.
What the new rules mean
The changes are designed to protect Third Term from disruptions at a time when candidates are entering the final phase of preparation for national examinations.
For candidates sitting KCSE, KPSEA, KJSEA, KILEA and the Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment, the coming weeks will be focused on completing coursework, revision and examination readiness.
The ministry says the objective is to ensure that the final weeks of the academic year are dedicated primarily to teaching, examination preparation and the smooth administration of national assessments.
