CS Machogu issues new directives ah**d of schools reopening
The Government has outlined measures for schools to follow as they are expected to reopen on May 6, in the wake of heavy rains and flooding in some parts of the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu on Friday directed that the safety of learners and staff be made a priority. Where impossible to continue learning in the most severely affected institutions, the CS urged the Boards of Management (BoM) to temporarily keep the schools closed until the situation improves.
"Where it is impossible to continue learning in the most severely affected institutions, BoMs are advised to temporarily keep the schools closed until the situation improves. In the meantime, the management of these schools should come up with strategies to recover lost time when learning resumes.
"The prevailing weather conditions pose accessibility challenges due to flash floods, swollen rivers and landslides thus affecting the transport system for learners to and fro school. Parents are therefore required to ensure that their children safely report to school on time," Machogu said in a circular addressed to Regional, County and Sub County Directors of Education, dated May 2.
Similarly, Machogu said some of the people displaced from their homes due to the devastating effects of the rains have sought refuge in schools.
"Such schools may not be able to continue with regular academic activities. field education officers working in areas where schools are holding displaced persons should liaise with National Government Administration Officers to immediately identify alternative accommodation for affected persons to ensure the facilities are available for normal learning activities," the CS directed.
Machogu said reports indicate that the rains have caused flooding in some institutions thus causing damage to infrastructure, sanitation facilities and destruction of learning and teaching materials. To this end, field education officers are expected to come up with mitigation measures so that learning is not disrupted.
The measures include resource sharing among neighbouring schools and the use of multi-grade and multi-shift models of providing education, where applicable.
At the same time, the CS has said some school infrastructure may be unsafe for learners thus affecting readiness to resume learning.
This is especially so for sanitation facilities that have been damaged due to flooding of which some are either submerged or have collapsed.
"This poses a health risk due to contamination of water sources, which may lead to an outbreak of waterborne diseases. BoMs, head teachers and principals are directed that students and staff should not be hosted in life-threatening buildings," Machogu said.
The CS directed all BoMs of schools to convene meetings and submit reports to the County Education Boards (CEB) on the status of their respective schools.
The reports should detail any damages incurred due to adverse conditions and outline mitigation measures to ensure a conducive learning environment. The reports are to be submitted by May 8.
CEBs are also urged to convene urgent meetings to assess the situation and submit comprehensive reports to the CS by May 10. The CS also urged Regional Directors of Education to continually provide updates on their areas of jurisdiction on the status of learning institutions detailing safe opening and capturing data of learners not in schools.
On the other hand, the Heads of institutions have been directed to report the number of learners not in school due to the inaccessibility of the transport system, the effects of weather conditions on their families' livelihoods and those whose families are internally displaced because of ongoing rains.
He urged all education stakeholders to prioritize the safety and well-being of teachers, learners and the school community guided by Kenya Meteorological Department weather forecast reports released from time to time.
