The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has ordered teachers back to class this Monday 28th September to prepare for reopening of schools.
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia while talking to the press has said teachers should report back to school to prepare for the eventual reopening of the basic learning institutions between now and Monday 28th of September.
“The innovative sense that you have always had so that both parents and learners are assured of safety and civic assurance when schools reopen. And in this regard we have deliberated on this as a committee and we are therefore asking our teachers to report back to schools on Monday 28th to prepare for the eventual opening of schools. So our teachers can report any day between now and Monday 28th September to prepare for the eventual reopening,” said Dr. Nancy Macharia.
CS Magoha has however warned that parents should not misinterpret this as school reopening cause he has not said so.
Education Response Committee chaired by Sara Ruto of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) reccomends that schools re-open in October.
However, Education CS George Magoha said the reccomendations by the committee will be tabled before a larger committee after which, the official date for school’s re-opening will be given.
“It is not for me to give the date for the re-opening, I will table this report before a larger committee for a deliberation on the actual date for the resumption of schooling,” Prof. Magoha said.
The scattered re-opening will see candidates report to school first; with the rest of the students expected back in a few weeks.
Standard Seven, Standard Eight, Form Three and Form Four students will be expected in school’s first.
The team led by Dr. Sarah Ruto was tasked to come up with modalities on how reopening of schools should be done and present a report to the CS today.
On Friday Prof George Magoha said that teachers should start preparing to report to their schools as the ministry prepares to receive the report on Monday from a taskforce established to look at preparedness of learning institutions.
Addressing the media after assessing the preparedness of Mawego Technical Training Institute in Homabay County, the CS said that from his personal observation, Covid-19 curve has started to flatten.
“From what I have observed, the curve is flattening and as a ministry we are in the process of relooking at our systems so that to get prepared. The report for technical and vocational institutions is ready and on Monday we will wait to receive the other reports from the taskforce and take them to another level for consideration before a concrete decision can be made,” Prof Magoha said.
“Teachers can start to prepare to report back to their schools to make them habitable before students report. And at that time, we will have phased re-opening with priority given to exam classes. In fact technical colleges are likely to re-open soon,” he said.