KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori urged parents to get prepared for early reopening of schools. Misori also urged the Government to consider reopening learning institutions in October this year for the 2nd academic term following a drop in COVID-19 cases.
Misori is part of a task force tasked by the Ministry of Education to formulate the COVID-19 protocols before schools are reopened.
The task force is expected to hand over its report to Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha today Monday.
KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori said that based on the current trend of low COVID-19 infections in the country, the Ministry of Education should reconsider its earlier advisory.
At the same time, he called on the government to support private schools resume physical classes since most of them are grappling with limited space for expansion.
Among issues that have posed a challenge is social distancing even as the government has rolled out an ambitious plan to supply public schools with furniture at a cost of Ksh 1.9 billion to facilitate the same.
Another contentious issue is the academic calendar which traditionally begins in January and ends in November.
This means re-opening in October will call for an amendment to the learning schedule.
National Examinations for standard eight and form four students are normally held between October and November annually is another factor that needs thorough analysis.
Schools in Kenya were indefinitely closed March this year after the first case of COVID-19 was reported.
In July Prof. Magoha said the 2020 academic year was considered lost and learning will resume in January 2021.
He further said learners including Kenya Certification of Primary Education and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education candidates would repeat current classes.