Ministry of Education releases 2023 co-curricular calendar

Kaya Tiwi and Olympic players during their National Secondary School games girls' basketball match at Nakuru High on September 12, 2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The Ministry of Education has clarified that rugby discipline in secondary schools will be held in Term One and not Term Two as indicated in the 2023 calendar released by the ministry on Thursday.

"We noticed there was an error in the calendar after the release. Rugby in secondary schools will remain in Term One and not in Term Two as earlier indicated," said Eliud Wambua who is the Assistant Director of Quality Assurance and Standards in the Ministry of Education.

According to the calendar, William ole Ntimama stadium in Narok County, Rift Valley region will host the national primary schools' athletics championships on April 21-25.

The calendar released by Education PS Belio Kipsang indicated that Hill School and Moi Girls in Uasin Gishu County will host the secondary schools national term one games on April 22-30. Term One secondary school games include athletics, basketball, hockey, handball, swimming and rugby.

Nairobi will play host to the special needs education national athletics meet at Moi Forces Academy on April 21-16. The capital city will also host the national secondary schools' athletics championships for the special needs education games at Nairobi School between April 21 and 26.

In Term Two, Kangaru School will host the national special needs education games for primary school ball games on August 8-13 while Kangaru Girls School will host the national secondary schools' special needs education games from August 8 to 14.

Kisumu County has been earmarked to host the national primary schools term two ball games on August 8-14 at Maseno School, while the national secondary schools term two games that comprises football, volleyball, netball and racquet games will be from August 8 to 14 at Kakamega High School.

At the college level, Mombasa will host the college ball games at Shanzu Teachers Training College from April 10 to 15 with Murang'a Teachers Training College hosting the college athletics and paralympic games on May 23-27.

Bujumbura, Burundi will host the regional East Africa Games from August 19 to 31 where Kenya will be represented by both Term One and Two finalists in all disciplines.

Arusha, Tanzania hosted the regional games in September last year. The games resumed after two years' absence due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Kipsang said the government will take full charge of the co-curricular activities that also include drama and music festival, science and engineering fair.

In 2018, the Ministry moved to take full charge of all co-curricular activities which were initially run by Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) and Kenya Primary Schools Heads Associations (KPSHA).

The Ministry has ordered for formation of new committees to run the co-curricular activities.

"For purposes of accountability and transparency in the management of Co-curricular activities, there shall be established the following management committees at the Sub-County, County and Regional Levels," said Kipsang in the 2018 circular.