The Ministry of Education has announced an extended holiday for primary and secondary school leaners following the ongoing flash floods and landslides experienced in various parts of the country.

Nearly all schools in the country were set to reopen on Monday and Tuesday, April 28 and 30th for Term II, prior to the announcement.

In a statement on Monday morning, Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu directed all state field offices to submit data on all Basic Education Learning Institutions countrywide to assist the Government in assessing the readiness of the schools for the Second Term opening.

"Reports received at the Ministry of Education, corroborated with data from other relevant Government agencies, show that a number of schools in various regions of the country have been adversely affected by the rains.

"The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of leamers and staff before water-tight measures are put in place to ensure adequate safety of MI affected school communities," the statement read in part.

"Based on this assessment, the Ministry of Education has resolved to postpone the reopening of all primary and secondary schools by one week, to Monday, May 6, 2024," Machogu announced.

 In the meantime, the CS assured members of the public that the ministry will work with relevant agencies and stakeholders to put in place measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the rains and provide regular updates on all development as pertains to the education sector. 

Many parents were caught off-guard by the announcement which came out at around 1 am in the morning - having travelled long distances to re-admit their children back to school for Term two.