Details have emerged, explaining reasons as to why President Uhuru Kenyatta rejected the school reopening plan presented by Education CS George Magoha which was to happen starting 5th October for candidate classes.
Already the Council of Governors led by its Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said the ECDE classes (PP1 and PP2) will reopen a month later after other upper classes resume learning. They had settled for November for reopening the Nursery schools.
On Monday, September 28, the Head of State stated that he would only reopen schools after the Education and Health Ministries guarantee the safety of learners.
Insiders stated that Magoha, his Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang and other stakeholders were shocked by Kenyatta’s decision as the President had already settled on October 5th as the reopening date.
Form Four and Class 8 candidates were poised to be among the first to report to school, with exams set for March 2021.
However, Kenyatta changed his mind after analysing the report, and was not convinced by the measures stipulated to protect learners from Covid-19.
“The resumption of in-person learning must be predicated on strict adherence to the health protocols and guidelines as issued by the Ministry of Health,” he noted while addressing the country during the National Covid-19 Conference at the Kenyatta International Conventional Centre (KICC).
Magoha’s plan further had logistical gaps that raised the risk of failure. Kenyatta was not assured with the social distancing plan and was worried that he may be forced to close schools should a second wave of Covid-19 brake out.
He was also reportedly dissatisfied with a shortage of teachers to deal with the crisis. This is despite the Teachers Service Commission embarking on the recruitment of over 11,000 teachers.
The failure of the Education Ministry to ascertain how the government and parents will foot extra bills also made Kenyatta reject the proposal. Magoha had asked parents to pay tuition fee only and assured them that no student would be sent home over arrears.
The complaints by school heads who lamented that they had not received funds for upgrade and reopening further forced Kenyatta to rescind any reopening proposals. He also felt that public schools were not adequately equipped to manage the pandemic.
“Did all the schools have adequate classrooms to accommodate classes with learners fewer than 20? What measures have been put in place to prevent student-to-student infections and teacher-to-learner infections?
“And were the government purchased desks enough for all the learners?” Kenyatta asked Magoha according to sources who attended the meeting.
The Head of State, nonetheless, directed Magoha to reopen universities. Final year students in all public universities and tertiary institutions were directed to report back to school on Monday, October 5. All other institutions were asked to wait for another elaborate academic calendar.
Actually I concure with the above directives of our Honourable president because if you look at the status of some public primary schools they are in horrible state that if the school opens and by bad chance the pandemic breaks ,things would maybe take a diverse range. I would suggest all schools to get the funds first and strictly be monitored and they prepare the institutions first following all the ministry ‘s protocols to curb pandemic to safe the lives of these tender young learner of tomorrow
What a leader we have! I never thought of all this! Indeed Uhuru rules with his brains not stomach! This are awesome decisions,, I once again salute, unless all the schools lay down and adhere to the protocols stipulated by the ministry of education then no guarantee that our learners would be safe there. Prompting me to support no reopening of institutions!!
President Uhuru used wisdom in making such a decision. Magoha is too learned to lead such a ministry. Let him lead those dockets related to medicine
Thank you our president for having the issues of Kenyan students at heart and for the wise and well-thought decisions you are making for the good of all of us.
Let the candidates go to school full day in many classes. The rest can go morning or afternoon or alternate days, with time to sanitise the classes in between. After all we spent much less time in school in the 60s and we excelled.
We consider schools different from our sports arenas where our children are mingling and keeping no social distance. What about our open markets? We need not live in denial. Our schools should be opened even if it is gradually starting with candidates form fours and class eight.
President Uhuru, very wise knowledgeable, and understanding .
Bravo Mr. President. The lives of our children is very valuable and need to be taken care of. I salute you for your very prudent decision over the reopening of schools. Let’s wait and as parents stop the push to have the schools opened. Thank you Sir.
I conquer with our president.. Even the president should cancel the reopening of the tertiary institutions because cs Magoha is literally confused the last time he said schools will be reopened in Jan,and now what we are hearing is something diff.He is just confusing the students especially the candidates.Also telling the universities students to report on 5th..did he consider the parents,are they prepared in matters pataining the school fees.He was supposed to inform as earlier in advance so that we could prepare enough
Private school teachers are suffering…I wish something can be done
Here H.E the President made a wise decision,I applied him for such a solomonic decision. We need such good decisions in times of need.
Here H.E the President made a wise decision,I apploud him for such a solomonic decision. We need such good decisions in times of need.
Going by the president’s argument, It seems Kenya schools will remain closed for another year. If they are to fix discrepancy in public schools, i.e build more classes, build more toilets, provide more desks, hire more teachers, provide water and mask. One month will not be enough considering rampant inefficiency and corruption in the government. I thing the president is totally disconnected on the realities on ground.
Education practitioners putting pressure on the Education CS to call our children back to school prematurely should give us a break. They seemed to have almost overwhelmed him. Thank God our President didn’t fall for the selfish shenanigans.
Thank you Mr president for the wise decision of not opening schools. Public schools are overwhelmed with students with some of the classes having more than 75 students e.g. schools in Kisumu. Schools should reopen in Jan that’s when parents are even prepared with fees, new set of uniforms na kadhalika. I ubarikiwea Mr. PRESIDENT