Secondary schools have closed for the long November/December Holiday. Meanwhile, Form Four candidates are set to sit and write KCSE exams. In fact, the coterie of candidates undertaking foreign languages such as French and German have commenced this important exercise of writing KCSE exams. Form Twos and Threes are now at home to rest. When they rest, they do not rust. Holiday is indeed good. For it gives students ample time to build some profound bond with family and friends. Holiday is the best time to break from the rigmarole of academic work in school. During holiday, students can press pause buttons, and engage in serious soul-search. During holiday, students can focus on retrospection. During holiday, students can reflect, revive, rev-up, re-charge and re-boot themselves.
Over and above, I think Form Threes going to Form Four must be conscious of climes and times: they need proper positioning as the next candidates. Likewise, Form Twos going to Form Three have a lot to do. As part of my tremendous traveling tales throughout the year, by the grace of God, I visited several schools across the country to deliver academic and career talks. Good indeed, as a peripatetic speaker, whenever I was chanced to visit any school, I observed students body language and behaviour in granular details. By the same token, I listened aptly to what students said during question-and-answer sessions. I also took note of what teachers said about them. Meaning, I have been able to collect and collate some insightful information about Form Twos becoming Form Threes in 2026. Therefore, advisedly I can say in this essay: they require robust support.
ALSO READ;
Tharaka Nithi County confirms readiness for 2025 National Examinations
So, what is it about Form Twos becoming Form Threes in 2026? My general observation shows that some of them are not doing well in relation to major domains of learning. More so — emotive, normative and cognitive. What is amiss? Firstly, remember, a typical Form Two is at the peak of adolescence. Etymologically speaking, the word “adolescence” mushroomed from the Latin word adolescere, which means growing into maturity. At that age and stage, the putative German-American psychologist called Erik Erikson (1902-1994), in his Theory of Psycho-social Development, he coined the term Identity Crisis. Actually, it is the period of uncertainty and confusion about one’s sense of self. It is triggered by life transitions or major changes; from late childhood to independent adulthood. It revolves around questioning one’s values, beliefs, goals and roles in life. This is not far from Identity Moratorium related to James Marcia’s Identity Status Model; explaining how adolescents navigate identity formation based on two key dimensions — Exploration and commitment.
Secondly, there are Form Two students struggling to cope with chilling challenges in high school because some parents conspired with unprofessional educators to make them skip a class in primary school. Due to resistance to change, some learners skipped from the 2-6-3-3-3 Competency-Based Education (CBE) to the 8-4-4 System of Education. In case it is true, then you now know why some of those Form Twos look disoriented, confused, weak, sick and totally out of place. Some of them even look younger. Sadly, some have been scoring disgraceful grades in lower forms. Lending the quality question: What will they score in upper forms? Then, in case indeed they literally jumped from Grade 6 of the CBE (2-6-3-3-3) System to STD 8 of the 8-4-4 System in 2023, then, they were not set to sit and write KCPE exams. No wonder, they were abetted to cheat. For they lacked the academic wherewithal to sit and write KCPE. So, how do we expect them to score more yet we connived and cut corners.
Additionally, Form Twos becoming Form Threes in 2026 will be the last group of the 8-4-4 System becoming moribund in 2027. So, ostensibly, some Form Twos could be suffering from the “Last-born Syndrome”. This is a popular term that attempts to describe personality traits and behaviors of the youngest child in a family. It is mostly characterised by fun-loving, charming and sociable, but also possibly self-centred, manipulative, entitled and dependent.
Therefore, all and sundry, should swing swiftly into action, and assist Form Twos to wake up and smell the coffee. For being the last cohort set to sit and write KCSE in 2027, there will be no room to repeat or for another attempt in KCSE. There will be no second chance. Therefore, what is the way forward? Based on reasons I have cited; how can we prop up Form Twos becoming Form Three in 2026?
Now, as I sit to weld these words in the trendiest town of Nairobi, the jungle of concrete; Form Twos are holed up at home for the November/December Holiday. As a teacher of English/Literature and an education consultant in several schools, I know, every school strives to assist students to manifest at their best. Sometimes, noble teachers try to teach beyond four walls of classrooms. No wonder, in the distant past, the Athenian thinker, Aristotle, lauded the great efforts of teachers by concluding, “Those who educate children well are more to be honoured than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.”
ALSO READ;
Lecturers reject SRC’s Ksh3.1B offer in 2025-2029 CBA citing economic unfairness
Now, teachers have released Form Twos. The assumption is, they are in the safe and helpful hands of parents, guardians or care-givers. It is important for parents, guardians and care-givers to focus on parenting with purpose. Being that children and family setups are all unique and different, there is no common script or textbook on parenting and child-rearing. Partnership with God, availability, responsibility and eternal vigilance, are some of the things parents can take note of in order to support their children during this protracted holiday. This will help the Form Twos not to be lured into drug abuse, media malady, immorality, crime and all forms of anti-social behaviour. In The Jewish Phenomenon, a heroic book I have read, and highly recommend to every parent, Steven Silbiger contends: Jews are wise and wealthy because right at the onset, they are keen to introduce their children to literate hobbies and habits; right rituals and routines.
Moreover, when we say Form Twos require robust support; parents, guardians and care-givers alone, may find it a bit hectic to ascend to this vital role. By extension, the rich African culture teaches us that it takes the whole “village” to bring up children who are sober, sane, straight-forward and morally-upright. Meaning, children should not be left to grow up like trees, forests or fresh festoon of flowers. Instead, the onus is on us to bring up children in strict training and discipline. In the winsome wisdom of Solomon, we are admonished in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Ideally, from my train of logic, you can see: Parenting with purpose abuts on different parties in society. Parents, guardians and care-givers, require reinforcement. This can come from the church, which in 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul the Apostle, and a fellow scribe, was able to describe as the ground and pillar of truth. Therefore, during this long November/December Holiday, Church leaders and elders should come up with well-thought-out seminars, camps and conferences as part of teens’ training programmes. In such sacred meetings, they should create special segments to assist and support Form Twos to rise, show their shine and sheen.
ALSO READ;
The teacher and the society: Why teachers are wrongly judged on the pedestal of prosperity
Penultimately, as part of remedy, yes, it is holiday. But a teenager in Form Two should not just be idling in the chest of the village, plot or estate, splitting hairs. Wisdom of ages shouts here and there: An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Somewhat, a child who can blossom into a successful adult must always prioritise studies while in and out of school. While holed up at home, parents should assist Form Twos come up with a plausible plan through good guidance and advice on how to balance home chores, personal study time and leisure or free time. They have to attend to shedloads of assignments given in schools. Then, I suggest: Form Twos can join and learn online through sites such as zoom platform. Any parent, guardian or care-giver with a child in Form Two and Three, can be part of Penman Online Programme. We have online lessons starting on Monday, October 27, 2025. From Monday to Friday, we shall be having Mathematics, Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and Languages (English and Kiswahili). Then, as part of Learner-Support Programmes (LSPs), every Saturday morning, we shall be crowning the week with Life Skills Education — academic and career talks.
Finally, these teens in Form Two poised to join Form Three in 2026 require a lot of one-on-one mentorship and coaching. Parents and guardians can reach out to people like us to assist them to execute this important assignment. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
By Victor Ochieng’
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
