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The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has set out official guidelines for this year’s August vacation school programme, earmarked for learners in examination classes, as part of ongoing efforts to boost national pass rates.
Running from 8 to 21 August 2025, the initiative targets Grade 7, Form 4, and Upper Sixth students, with a strong focus on syllabus revision and exam preparedness ahead of national examinations set for later this year.
In a circular dispatched to provincial and district education offices, Permanent Secretary Moses Mhike emphasised that the programme is strictly limited to the designated dates and must observe public holidays.
“The holiday lessons will take place between 8 August and 21 August 2025. All schools must be cognisant of Heroes and Defence Forces Days and not conduct lessons on those national holidays. Schools may use a Saturday, Sunday, or both to complete the full ten days within the allowed period,” Mhike said.
No extensions beyond 21 August will be authorised.
To ensure transparency and accessibility, the Ministry has set a capped fee structure for participating schools. Primary schools are allowed to charge up to US$2, secondary schools between US$3 and US$5, while boarding schools may add an extra US$5 to cater for accommodation-related expenses.
Learners attending vacation school are required to wear full school uniforms, and teachers must dress in professional attire — a move aimed at maintaining a formal and focused learning environment throughout the programme.
Mhike said the Ministry has deployed school inspectors and district literacy coordinators to monitor implementation across provinces. Their mandate is to ensure that schools stick to the set standards and that all activities contribute meaningfully to learners’ academic performance.
“The objective is to assist candidates in mastering key syllabus concepts and to offer targeted learner support ahead of the upcoming exams. Vacation school must be delivered with clear academic intent and structure,” Mhike said.
School heads have been directed to ensure that all timetables, staffing, and lesson plans are tailored to support the programme’s core mandate — strengthening exam preparedness through additional academic engagement.
Parents and guardians are being encouraged to support the initiative by ensuring that learners attend all sessions and come ready to engage fully with the intensified revision programme.
