Why learners may to stay out of cla*s for longer
Irene Githinji @gitshee
President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again dampened hopes of re-opening of schools any time soon and instead directed Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to hold further consultations on the disrupted learning calendar.
The President told Magoha to convene a meeting of all education stakeholders to deliberate on the best possible strategies and direction to adopt going forward for the already disrupted sector.
In his tenth presidential address on coronavirus pandemic at State House, Nairobi, Uhuru directed educational institutions and government institutions including sporting centres to make the facilities available to the Health ministry of Health to be used for isolation and quarantine purposes.
“We have agreed that we will clear doubt in our children on the dates to resume learning.
In our meeting, we agreed that Education Cabinet Secretary will call a meeting for all education stakeholders in a few days and once they are done with their consultations, they will tell the parents and children how we will continue with education matters going forward,” said the President after a meeting with governors.
Three weeks ago, Magoha announced that the 2020 school calendar year would be considered lost due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is on a daily surge, with cases having surpassed the 17,000 mark yesterday.
With the cancellation, this year would go down in history as the time when learning was completely disrupted and national examinations postponed due to a calamity.
On July 7, Magoha said the 2020 academic calendar had been re-organised and all basic education learning institutions would reopen in January, next year.
The unprecedented decision came as a blow to millions of learners across the country, who were hoping to make another step in their academic journey.
“Faced with this uncertain environment, the stakeholders have resolved to reopen all basic education learning institutions in January 2021,” said Magoha.
Even as he announced the changes in timelines for the education sector, the CS said institutions of higher learning would be allowed to reopen in September, subject to strict adherence to Ministry of Health coronavirus protocols.
“All institutions allowed to reopen must comply with Covid-19 regulations or risk closure.
We will conduct inspections for schools before they can be allowed to operate,” said the CS.
Magoha also explained that universities will be reopened for face-to-face sessions but on a case-by-case basis based on approved compliance with Covid-19 protocols.
He directed universities to continue holding virtual learning and graduations for students who have successfully completed their programmes and met graduation requirements set by their respective Senates.
“Universities should consider phased reopening to achieve physical and social distancing, especially in halls of residence, lecture rooms and dining halls,” he said.
But with the current surge, it is emerging that there are possibilities that Tvets and universities may not resume teaching in September, after all.
This has been attributed to the high number of cases being reported on a daily basis, with the peak for infections anticipated in August and September.
Already, the University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Prof Gitahi Kiama has pronounced himself on the issue, saying students cannot resume in September since the institution is at the epicentre of the virus.
“We cannot bring back our people to the university especially now we have been told that the numbers will be at the peak between September and November,” said Prof Kiama.
He, however, said learning and universities’ activities will continue virtually, including admission of new students and graduation scheduled for September.
The ministry has also been categorical that schools should only resume when the infection curve flattens for at least 14 days.
The ministry had been conducting inspections to ascertain level of compliance for institutions of higher learning but the exercise has since been temporarily halted.
Last week, the CS issued a circular on cessation of all travel out of Nairobi.
The postponement of reopening also meant there would be no intake for Early Years Education grades next year.
The decision has been informed by the fact that learners will repeat the grades they were in when schools reopen next January.
