This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
Kenya's Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has postponed the reopening of schools until January 2021, citing the rising trend of COVID-19 cases.
As a result, the 2020 KCPE and KCSE exams have been cancelled, and candidates will now sit for exams in 2021.
Magoha explained that the initial proposal to reopen schools in September for Class 8 and Form 4 learners was shelved due to the steady rise in COVID-19 cases.
He emphasized that social and physical distancing is crucial for the safe reopening of schools, but this has not been met at the moment.
Magoha also pointed out that partially reopening schools for Class 8 and Form 4 learners is not viable, as the current Class 7 and Form 3 students would not be able to cover the syllabus in time for the national exams.
With 1.2 million Class 8 candidates and 750,000 Form 4 students, there are concerns about accommodation in secondary schools.
