By Staff Reporter
The COVID-19 National Education Response Committee has been launched to explore the best possible strategies of restoring normalcy in the education sub-sector.
The 10 member committee, launched by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha is expected to advise on the reopening of pre-primary, primary, secondary, teacher training and adult education teaching and training institutions.
It will also be required to review and re-organise the school calendar as part of the COVID-19 post- recovery strategy and advise the CS on accommodation of students and pupils in boarding schools.
Besides, the committee will be expected to document all COVID-19 related matters, lessons learnt and recommendations for future preparedness.
Other roles include advising the Cabinet Secretary on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for education by poor households and suggest mitigation measures.
It will recommend health and safety measures to be put in place for the pupils/students, teachers and the entire school community.
The committee, chaired by Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chair Sarah Ruto is expected to identify institutions that may have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and advise on mitigation and recovery measures.
It will also be required to submit regular reports to the Cabinet Secretary on the implementation progress of COVID-19 related programmes.
Other committee members include KESSHA chairman Kahi Indimuli, KEPSHA Chair Nick Gathemia, Kenya Private Schools Association CEO Peter Ndoro and Kenya Parents Association national Chairman Nicholas Maiyo.
Others include Augustine Muthigani (Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops), Jane Mwangi (Kenya Association for Independent International Schools) and Nelson Makanda (National Council Churches of Kenya).
Also in the team are Sheikh Munawar Khan (Kenya Muslim Education), Timothy Wambua (Kenya Institute of Special Education Director) and Peter Sitienei (Kenya Special Schools Heads Association Chair).
Following the outbreak of the virus, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the closure of all schools and other learning institutions on March 15th, 2020 as part of the measures to control the spread of the virus.
Though schools were expected to resume learning when the second term was scheduled to start on May 4th, 2020, the Government extended the reopening date for one more month as the government battles to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In the meantime, the Ministry has come up with measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in the education sector, including mounting of online learning and the drafting of a master-plan to guide the response to COVID-19 in the education sector.
The pandemic has hurt the basic education sector the most and threatens to wipe out the gains made to stabilise the academic calendar.
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