Education Cabinet Secretary Professor
George Magoha has said that the safety of learners is the priority in school
reopening.
Speaking on Friday after receiving a
report by the Covid-19 Education Response Committee, the CS told off those worried
about National Exams, challenging parents to guide children while at home.
“To us the life of one child is very
important; so other than thinking so much about exams and learning, teach the
child what you know yourself,” said CS Magoha.
The committee, which is chaired by
the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Studies Director Dr. Sara Ruto, proposes
schools to reopen in September.
The ministry is set to analyze the
report and direct on the next course of action to be taken.
Schools were closed on March 13, 2020
following the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak in the country, and should the
ministry adopt the report, students will be required to remain home completing
a 24-weeks break to the end of August.
The report recommends that about 1.8
million KCPE and KCSE candidates to be the first patch to reopen, with the rest
reporting 2 weeks after Social Distancing requirements have been adhered to by
school administration.
It further recommends National Examinations
to be held in February 2021, 20 weeks from the reopening date, to give learners
enough time to cover up from where they had left.
Measures
to reopen schools
The rest of the learners will be
expected to report back to school two weeks, after school administration has
set adequate emergency measures.
Countries in Sub-Sahara Africa are
considering to reopen learning institutions months after the pandemic struck
the continent, with many considering to reopen the economy as they adopt to new
normal.
Ivory Coast is among the first
African countries to reopen its learning institutions, as Coronavirus cases in
the country tally to at 2,376.
Learners
in the country returned back to class on Monday, while wearing face masks –they
also washed hands –with a teacher directing them.
Learners sat one per desk and 1.5 meters
between desks, as bottles of hand sanitizing gels placed within reach.
The Education ministry in Kenya has
what it takes to set adequate measures to reopen schools and keep learners and
teachers safe from Covid-19.
Meanwhile, commending on charges by
private schools, the CS urged parents to negotiate with teachers to keeping
learning going on.
“It was your choice to take
your children to the private schools; let the parents negotiate with the
teachers on the charges; otherwise the private school sector will collapse,
said CS magoha.
Covid-19 cases continue to soar as
the country 1,745 as at Friday 29, after 127 new cases were recorded in
the last 24-hours.
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