Back to School: Headache for parents and learners as third term begins

Parents queue to by books at Rescue bookshop in Mombasa. Most of the Schools will open tommorrow. August 23, 2026.[Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Schools across the country reopen on Monday, August 24, for a nine-week third term that promises to be one of the most demanding periods in the 2026 academic calendar.

Learners are returning from a three-week break as the government races to complete the national assessment and examination cycle.

The final term will run until October 23, with pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools expected to implement approved programmes while preparing learners for national assessments and examinations.

For learners, the term comes with a packed in-tray. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), Kenya Integrated Learning Assessment (KILEA), Kenya Primary Level Education Assessment (KPLEA), and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are all scheduled for the final months of the year.

The KCSE examination is scheduled to run from October 19 into November, while the Ministry has indicated that KPSEA, KJSEA and other national assessments will begin on October 26.

The pressure is particularly intense for candidates sitting national examinations, the Ministry has moved to enforce stricter school opening and learning hours, warning institutions against keeping learners in school for excessively long periods.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said schools, whether public or private, should not require learners to report before 7.15 am.

He directed schools to adhere to the official learning hours of 8am to 3.30pm, a move aimed at protecting learners from excessively early reporting and prolonged hours in school.

“No school, public or private, should require learners to report before 7.15am,” Ogamba said, stressing the need for institutions to comply with the prescribed school timetable.

The directive comes amid growing concern over the workload placed on learners, particularly candidates preparing for national assessments and examinations.

The Ministry has also maintained a ban on extracurricular activities and visits to secondary schools during the third term, as institutions concentrate on academic programmes and examination preparations.

Ogamba urged parents, teachers and learners to ignore unverified information circulating on social media and instead rely on official government communication.

“Parents, teachers and learners and members of the public are advised to strictly rely on the Ministry's official communication channels and field officers for accurate information,” he said

But while schools prepare for the academic demands ahead, headteachers and principals are returning facing serious capitation shortages.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Willie Kuria has warned that inadequate government funding could undermine operations during a term when expenditure is expected to rise because of national examination preparations.

"This is an examination period and schools are still reeling under debts following under-funding from the government. We need to prepare learners adequately before they sit for exams," he said.

According to a Ministry circular dated July 28, schools received Sh3,367.60 per learner for the third term, against the expected Sh4,449.

The government allocation is supposed to provide Sh11,122 per learner in Term One, Sh6,673 in Term Two and Sh4,449 in Term Three, translating to an annual allocation of Sh22,244 per learner.

Kuria said schools have consistently received less than the stated amounts.

He said schools received Sh6,577 per learner in the first term, with Sh1,375 retained by the Ministry, bringing the effective allocation to Sh7,952 against the expected Sh11,122.

This created a deficit of Sh3,170 per learner.

In the second term, schools received Sh4,852 per learner, while Sh285 was retained by the Ministry. The total allocation therefore stood at Sh5,137 against the expected Sh6,673, leaving a deficit of Sh1,535.

The third-term allocation of Sh3,367.60 leaves another Sh1,081.40 gap against the expected Sh4,449.

Taken together, the figures mean schools have received about Sh16,456.60 per learner against an annual allocation of Sh22,244, leaving a cumulative shortfall of Sh5,787.40 per learner.

Kuria said the situation has left schools struggling to meet basic operational costs.

“Schools are in debt. Sometimes we call the parents and talk to them. We tell them about our deficit, and some of them agree to supplement what the school has. They give us some money, but when they do, the ministry calls it extra fees. Unfortunately, that is how it is classified. But no school can survive on this amount of money,” Kuria said.

The funding crisis comes at a particularly difficult time as schools implement the Competency-Based Education system, which has introduced specialised learning areas requiring additional teaching materials, equipment and teachers with specific skills.

Secondary schools are also under pressure to prepare candidates for practical examinations. Laboratories require chemicals and other materials, while schools must meet the costs of electricity, water, food, transport, maintenance and other essential services.

For institutions already carrying debts from previous terms, suppliers are increasingly reluctant to provide goods on credit without payment of outstanding bills.

The funding shortage could therefore have a direct impact on examination preparedness, particularly in schools that lack the financial capacity to purchase required learning and practical materials.

The third term will also test the ability of schools to balance academic preparation with the Ministry's restrictions on non-academic activities.

Diploma Teacher Training Colleges will equally reopen on August 24, although their third term will run longer, ending on November 6.

Parents are also under pressure to complete school fees before the year end. School heads say this is the only assurance to collect fee balance from learners, especially those sitting for national examinations.

A circular from a school in Nairobi instructs parents to ensure they clear school fees as learners report. "Parents, the school reopens on August 25, 2026. We wish to remind you to ensure students report with zero balance. Additionally, the AGM resolved payment of Sh5,000 towards laboratory construction," reads part of the notice.

Another principal wrote: "We appeal to parents to support us in  school fees payment of their children to make us offer better service to our learners," said a principal from Makueni County.

Another principal noted that schools are forced to exert pressure on parents to clear fees as government drive directives require schools to issue learners with certificates without conditions after clearing school.

"Parents owe schools a lot of money in fees arrears, which continues to put institutions in problem with suppliers," said Kuria.