After a 10-month long break, its back to school for millions of pupils across the country. However, the resumption is far from normal as learners and
parents now must embrace a new educational calendar to makeup for lost class time as a result of covid-19.

Its Back to Normal in 2023
Continuing students in PP1 and PP2 as well as those in Grade 1,2,3, Class 5, 6 and 7, Form 1,2 and 3 will all resume their term two, which will last 11
weeks, from the 4th of January. As for students in grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4, they will continue with their third term since they had partially reopened
last year from the month of October.

Table 1: 2020 Term Two and Three Schedule for Continuing Learners (PP1 & 2; Grade 1, 2 and 3; Class 5, 6 and 7; and Form 1, 2 and 3)

The second term breaks on the 19th of March and will last 7 weeks, but those in Class 8 and Form 4 will not break as they will be sitting their national
examinations.

While every other student gets ready to start their term three, those in Grade 4 and the new lot of Form 1 students will stay home and resume learning
after term three is completed. Third term will run from the 10th of May to the 17th of July 2021, marking the end of the 2020 school calendar.
The 2021 school calendar will start a week later on the 26th of July 2021 for all students. It is however unclear whether the new lot of Form 1 students
will open at the same time.

Table 2: 2021 School Calendar

The normal school calendar will resume in 2023 when this crash programme is expected to end.

Parents to Stretch Their Budgets.
While reopening of schools may be a relief to many parents who feared for the future of their children, a four-term school year may be a stretch.
Parents who are used to paying fees over three annual school terms, will now have a week in between terms to look for school fees as schools
squeeze in an additional term every year in 2021 and 2022. Moreover, parents will be required to even spend more to ensure their children learn in a
safe environment schools transfer the cost of complying with Covid-19 health protocols to the parents. There are however efforts by the government
to ease the burden through distribution of masks, an initiative that flagged off at Olympic Primary in Kibera, on the first day of schools reopening.
With a battered economy, job losses, new taxes and uncertain COVID-19 vaccination, many parents are looking at a grim year.

Harder Times for Teachers and Learners
Learners and teachers are looking at a fully packed year. And while it may be important to catch up with the curriculum, cases of mental and physical
fatigue may increase within learning facilities.