Education Ministry releases the 2026-2027 academic term dates for all schools

Education Ministry releases the 2026-2027 academic term dates for all schools

The Ministry of Education has released the official 2026-2027 academic term dates for all schools across the country.

The  calendar shows term dates for Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary Schools plus Teacher Training Colleges, TTCs.

The calendar the term durations, holiday breaks, and national examination dates.

Continue reading: 2025/2026 School Academic Calendar, Term Dates

Key Term dates for the 2026-2027 School Calendar

Key dates for the 2026-2027 School Calendar are as follows;

Term one 2026 Term dates

Term 1: Opens on 5th January 2026 and runs for 13 weeks, ending on 2nd April 2026. A mid-term break is scheduled from 25th February to 1st March 2026, lasting five days.

April holiday: A three-week holiday will follow Term 1, from 7th April to 24th April 2026.

Term two 2026 Term dates

Term 2: Commences on 27th April 2026 and spans 14 weeks, concluding on 31st July 2026.

Students will enjoy a five-day half-term from 24th June to 28th June 2026.

August holiday 2026

Schools will close for three weeks, from 3rd August to 21st August 2026.

Term three 2026

Term 3: Begins on 25th August 2025 and lasts for nine weeks, ending on 24th October 2025.

December holiday 2026

The academic year will officially end on 26th October 2026 for most learners, ushering in a 10-week December holiday running until 1st January 2027.

2026 Knec National examinations schedule

The 2026 calendar also highlights crucial dates for national assessments.

Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will run from 26th to 29th October 2026 while the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) will commence on 26th and end on 30th of October 2026.

Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) & Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will begin on 26th October and run through to 5th November 2026.

On the other hand, the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will start on 2nd November and end on 20th November 2026.

Opening Date for Term One 2027

Schools will open for first term of 2027 on Monday 4th January, 2027.

PRE-PRIMARY, PRIMARY, JUNIOR, SENIOR AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TERM DATES 2026

1. KPSEA — Kenya Primary Education Assessment.
2. KILEA — Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment.
3. KJSEA -Kenya Junior School Education Assessment.
4. KPLEA — Kenya Pre-Vocational Izvcl Educaüon Assessment

DIPLOMA TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGES ACADEMIC CALENDAR, 2026

1. This circular should be distributed to all the institutions of Basic Education under your jurisdiction.
2. Activities and visits to Secondary Schools in third term 2026 remain banned as per the earlier circulars.

Amb. (Prof) Julius K. Bitok, CBS
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY