School re-opening: Schools still grappling with the new normal standards

Many schools have continued to experience several
challenges barely a week after opening their doors for the 2021 learning after
being closed for 9 months following the outbreak of the Corona virus disease.

In Kakamega county many schools are grappling with the
realities of reopening without most of the proposed minimal requirements from
both the ministries of health and education respectively.

According to the Kakamega North sub county director of
education Isaac Kipraisi, many schools have opened even when they have not met
the standards.

“We are aware that most of the schools are in bad
shape caused by the heavy rains experienced early last year and with the
closure of the same following the outbreak of the pandemic, the situation has
even worsened, but we are working around the clock to see that at least there
is a conducive environment for the learners.”

The director said the sub county has recorded a 70 percent
of desk distribution to primary schools while the secondary level is at 45 percent
and observed that due to the expenses involved in making the lockers and
chairs, very few carpenters had applied for the tender.

“As at late last year, we had fully equipped seven
secondary schools with the lockers and chairs with five more having received
half of the supply, however we have received complaints of how some carpenters
are unable to meet the requirements and we will be revoking the tender and re-award
them to those capable but generally we have supplied 70 percent of the total
number in both primary and secondary, the total number of schools to receive
the desks stands at 35 with secondary being 20 and primary 15.

In Samitsi special boarding and vocational school for
the mental health, the head teacher Eunice Wamocho says it’s a tall order for
the pupils to adhere to the covid-19 especially those switch epileptic
conditions where they encounter seizures hence their desks should be made to
suit their specification.

The school which has a population of 135 learners with
only 4 teachers is heavily understaffed if observing the ministry of health
regulations is anything to go by.

“How do you convince and keep some of our pupils
who are mentally challenged to always wear masks considering they are uncomfortable
around the ears nose and mouth, we will need a lot of personnel to keep them in
control.

“Our teachers are ready to start executing their
duties but our facilities are very limited as infrastructure remains a big
challenge as they only have 6 latrines, inadequate water supply hence the need
to have water storage tanks. We however are putting up a dormitory to space
them accordingly and we further offer breakfast and lunch at school to entice
them to come to school regularly.”

At the Samitsi primary under the auspices of Chief Principal
Peter Masungo that has a population of 1020 pupils, the school is faced with acute
shortage of 19 latrines to add on the existing 25 as each door should serve 24
girls and 30 boys respectively with only 11 classrooms operational less 69 as
per the ministry of health regulations.

A
random spot check in most of the sub county secondary schools still paints a
grim picture of how the situation is as many of them are yet to comply with the
required regulations.

Many
principals who know fear being vindicated to talking to the press on the real
issues affecting their schools confided that they were caught between a hard
place and a rock as many schools did meet the required threshold.

However,
some secondary schools are able to accommodate the students as proper
mechanisms have been put in place in advance.

The
school managers have at the same time expressed their anger in the manner the education
cabinet secretary is handling education matters.

They
said it was time the ministry of education treasury and the cabinet secretary
(education) to give education matters the seriousness it deserves and stop
intimidating school managers with unfounded statement concerning money to
schools to pay for capitation, desks and Covid-19 that have remained a
fairytale to many schools.

The
managers maintained that they will be ready to come to the media when need
arises as it was the only avenue they could address their pleas to the ministry
and government at large.