Shares

The Ministry of Education has released the official academic calendar for 2026, outlining the term dates for pre-primary, primary, junior, senior, and secondary schools. They have also shared the calendar for diploma teachers’ training colleges.

The announcement provides clarity for students, parents, and educators on the schedule for the upcoming year, including term durations, holidays, and national examination periods.

School academic calendar (Pre-Primary to Secondary)

Term Duration Start Date End Date Breaks
Term 1 13 weeks January 5 April 2 Mid-term Break: February 25 – March 1 (5 days)
Term 1 Holiday 3 weeks April 7 April 24
Term 2 14 weeks April 27 July 31 Half-term Break: June 24 – June 28 (5 days)
August Holiday 3 weeks August 3 August 21
Term 3 9 weeks August 24 October 23
National Exams October 26 November 20 KCSE: November 2 – November 20 (3 weeks).
Long Holiday 10 weeks October 26 January 1, 2027

National Examinations Schedule

The national exams for the year are scheduled to take place as follows:

  • Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) & Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA): October 26 to October 29/30.
  • Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) & Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA): October 26 to November 5.
  • Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE): November 2 to November 20.

Diploma Teachers’ Training College Calendar

The calendar for diploma teachers’ training colleges will run a parallel schedule:

Term Duration Start Date End Date
Term 1 13 weeks January 6 April 2
Term 1 Holiday 3 weeks April 7 April 24
Term 2 13 weeks April 27 July 31
August Holiday 3 weeks August 3 August 21
Term 3 August 24 November 6
December Holiday November 9 January 1, 2027

The ministry has maintained a three term structure similar to the current system, with activities and visits to secondary schools during the third term remaining prohibited as per existing ministry directives.