Starehe Boys’ Centre and School has announced an early closure for the mid-term break, adjusting its academic calendar amid ongoing unrest that has disrupted learning in several schools across the country.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a press release seen by this publication, Director Fred Okono confirmed that students will start their half-term break on Friday, June 19.

Students have been instructed to return on Wednesday, June 24, the date officially designated by the Ministry of Education as the start of the mid-term break for senior schools in the academic calendar.

Okono noted that despite recent disruptions affecting learning in some institutions across the country, students at Starehe have continued with normal academic activities.

📌 What You Need to Know

The early break has been attributed to preparations for the Founders’ Memorial, an annual event for students and alumni to honour the school’s founder.

“We are breaking early so as to return on time for preparations for the Founders' Memorial that is scheduled for Sunday 28th June 2026,” Okono wrote.

The development comes amid wider debate in the education sector over how to respond to unrest in secondary schools, with stakeholders proposing adjustments to the second-term academic calendar.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) opposed calls for early closures, citing the need to ensure learners complete the academic programme within the expected timelines, as well as potential increased costs.

In contrast, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) pushed for a review of the school calendar and proposed a mandatory one-week mid-term break as a preventive measure against escalating unrest.

Education officials maintained that the term’s early mid-term break would not be pushed up, noting that the affected institutions represent a small fraction of the country’s secondary schools, with 204 schools affected as of June 10.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke