About 93 public high school teachers from Kwale county are expected to undergo a three-week course on online teaching to boost the nationwide ongoing virtual learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Early this month, Education CS George Magoha encouraged universities to adopt the e-learning system as the government plans on how to reopen schools next year.
It has been over three months since schools were closed due to coronavirus outbreak.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association regional chairperson Hellen Machuka said the programme will be under the Center for Mathematics and Sciences Technology.
“We have a programme spearheaded by CEMASTEA, which has professional trainers to train teachers in mathematics and sciences,” she said.
Machuka said the training is expected to start in three days for selected teachers countrywide.
She spoke when she donated water tanks and sanitiser worth Sh100, 000 to Kwale government this week in Matuga subcounty.
Machuka added that the trained teachers are expected to share the knowledge with colleagues before engaging students.
“Three weeks after the training they will now coach other teachers and bring onboard learners,” Machuka said.
She said the government is trying to target majority of students for e-learning looking at the fact that not everyone can easily access technology in Kenya.
The former Matuga Girls’ senior principal said the Ministry of Education sponsors the online packages and will provide data for schools running the programme.
She urged parents to provide children with internet phones specifically for online studies to at least make virtual learning relevant to them.
She said the programme will keep students up-to-date with the syllabus and enhance smooth transition when schools re-open.
Machuka also said that county teachers employed under the board of management in national schools of Matuga and Kwale high schools have been fully paid.
She, however, said they are still waiting for money from the national government to settle outstanding salaries for other teachers.
For those in private schools, she said they will be forced to develop their own surviving skills saying it is hard for KESSHA to intervene due to limited resources.
“We are just praying for them through their own innovations they will be able to meet their challenges because the county bursary money is not sufficient and the one we are waiting is hardly enough to cater for public teachers,” she noted.
