Education Ministry Announces 2024 School Term Opening Dates Amidst Teacher Strike Concerns

The Ministry of Education has announced the opening dates for the first term of 2024, with pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools starting on January 8, 2024, and Form 1 students beginning on January 15. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has urged field officers to assist parents in preparation and emphasized parental responsibility for children’s well-being during the festive season. He addressed the issue of drug abuse, urging caregivers to warn their children. However, the start of the term may face challenges for Junior Secondary School (JSS) students as over 20,000 intern teachers have issued a strike notice, demanding permanent positions and protesting the Teachers Service Commission’s decision to retain them as interns for a second year. Despite the TSC’s threat, a Nairobi Court upheld their contracts pending a hearing of their petition.