Education cabinet secretary George Magoha has ruled out suspending learning for those who have already resumed school in the wake of a spike in Covid-19 infections across the country.
Speaking at Mukuru Primary School in Mukuru Kayaba informal settlement during a tour to assess learning and delivery of desks for schools, Magoha said children are safer at school adding that most parents want their children in school.
“If you look at the children in school, they are all masked. When you go out, the opposite is true” observed Magoha.
Magoha says consultations on a possible full re-opening of schools are ongoing at every level of government with president Kenyatta set to engage governors and other stakeholders on Wednesday.
“After that, we will decide when to call for an internal education stakeholders’ forum to ensure that our decision is well informed” said Magoha.
Magoha saying the government is talking all possible precautionary measures to ensure the coronavirus pandemic will not interrupt learning for those already in school.
Citing a case at Maranda high school where a student who had travelled from Mombasa infected several of his classmates, Magoha said the contacts have already been isolated with the rest of the over 600 candidates continuing with learning.
Magoha however took issue with one school that he accused of allowing Kindergarten, Grade one, two and three leaners back in school in complete disregard of the government directive.
“If they don’t conform by today, we will name and shame them. They will have themselves to blame” Magoha warned.
The ministry of education and that of health have been monitoring events since the partial re-opening of schools early last month that saw Grade 4, standard eight and Form four learners resume learning under a revised calendar.
The closure of schools in March, resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, had seen societal vices including teen pregnancies, early marriages and child labour impact on the lives of learners.
Proponents of the full re-opening of schools argue that the country risks losing an entire generation with children said to suffer mild effects of Covid-19 disease and hopes of getting a vaccine.
This even as possible lockdown measures appear imminent with bars and restaurants the most possible casualties.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for a meeting with the 47 county chiefs on Wednesday to review impact of the phased reopening of the economy amid a surge in Covid-19 infections in the country.
In the second phased re-opening, President Kenyatta allowed bars to resume operations until 10 pm and extended the curfew for a further sixty days with an adjustment of effective hours to between 11 pm and 4 am.
The president also announced an increase in the number of guests attending funerals, weddings, mosque and church services.
