Basic Education PS Julius Bitok
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has directed principals to suspend second-term examinations that could lead to student unrest.
Speaking on Thursday, June 4, PS Bitok said the Education Ministry is taking deliberate measures to protect learners and ensure stability in schools amid a rising number of student unrest cases across the country.
The Basic Education PS noted that, in recent years, the second term has emerged as a particularly sensitive period, requiring heightened vigilance and close attention from school administrators.
“We are working very hard to ensure that there are no examinations that are going to bring tensions to our schools. We have asked all principals to stop any type of examinations in this term that are going to cause anger, disappointment, or disenfranchise any student,” he said.
PS Bitok emphasized that students should not be subjected to examinations before they are adequately prepared, warning that undue academic pressure could heighten anxiety levels and potentially fuel unrest in schools.
Further, he called on school principals and teachers to work closely with field officers and adopt dialogue-based approaches in addressing emerging challenges in schools.
“We are doing that because we want to reduce tensions in our schools. Why do you want to force these learners to sit for examinations if they are not ready? They should not,” he added.
At the same time, PS Bitok ruled out early closure of schools for the mid-term break despite the recent wave of unrest.
He insisted that learning will continue as scheduled until June 24, 2026, when learners will break for mid-term.
“The half-term break for this term is scheduled for the 24th of this month, and learners are directed that they must wait for the right time to go for the half-term.
“We are not going to disrupt the school calendar because of a few schools who are messing up our programme,” said PS Bitok.
