By Staff Reporter
Learning in the country’s educational institutions has been pushed to January 2021, but it is a big relief for teachers employed under the Board of Management (BOM) in the country’s public schools.
With the number of Covid-19 cases increasing daily and schools remain closed, BOM teachers and other non-teaching staff will however continue receiving their salaries.
Since the closure of schools, following the reporting of the first case of Covid-19 from March 16th, 2020, all educational institutions were closed.
Teachers employed by BOM bore the brunt as they have gone for months without pay, sending a good number to misery.
“The Government has set aside sufficient funds to pay BOM teachers, non-teaching staff including security men and women to ensure proper maintenance and safety in schools,” Education CS George Magoha said.
While reopening of early and basic learning institutions remained unclear, the Government wanted technical training institutions, teacher training colleges and universities reopen by September 1st, 2020.
However, Magoha indicated that it would be a tough call, stating that their state of preparedness is wanting.
“The current situation regarding the Covid-19 situation is worsening, with an average number of new positive cases daily averaging 600 in the last one week,” he said.
More than 19,000 reported cases, some of them affecting staff of universities and colleges have been reported so far and a planned phased reopening of the institutions will not take place.
The University of Nairobi has already lost four members of staff as a result of Covid-19.
Since July 7, 2020, the Ministry embarked on putting in place measures to ensure smooth reopening of higher learning institutions in line with Covid-19 protocols, while taking cognizant of the developments in the pandemic emanating from the Ministry of Health.
“A survey of all Teacher Training Colleges, Universities and TVET institutions has shown that few of them have put in place necessary measures to comply with the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 protocols that can guarantee safety of staff and learners once they reopen,” Magoha stated.
During a meeting with education stakeholders at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on Thursday, Magoha however said the final decision on the reopening of the TTC’s, TVETs and universities will be dependent on the guidance from the Ministry of Health.
“A robust multi-sectoral approach will be employed to step up preparedness for reopening in compliance with MOH protocols on mitigating the COVID-19 effects,” he said.
He urged universities to continue offering virtual learning, examinations and virtual graduations but in strict adherence observance to quality measures set by the Commission for University Education’s the University Standards and Guidelines.
“Priority should be given to final year students to ensure they can graduate,” he said, identifying Dedan Kimathi University and Riara University as those that have held virtual graduations.
Egerton University is also set to hold a virtual graduation on 31st July, 2020 while the University of Nairobi is set to hold a virtual graduation on 25th September, 2020.
Besides, virtual orientation of first year students has been successfully undertaken in KCA University in May, 2020 and Dedan Kimathi University in June-July, 2020, and should be extended to other universities.
“All institutions will continue making arrangements for re-opening based on the provided guidelines and checklists. However, authorization to re-open for face to face teaching, learning and research, will be based on further guidance from Ministry of Health based on the dynamics of preparedness,” Magoha noted.
He promised that the Ministry is looking into ways of supporting continued on-line learning for University students by supporting HELB to facilitate them for the acquisition of on-line learning facilities and resources.
At the Basic Education, the stakeholders observed that, although KICD continues to provide remote learning through radio, television and online programmes, there are some children who are unable to access these programmes.
The Ministry of Education and TSC, using a multi-agency approach, and in collaboration with chiefs and the Nyumba Kumi initiative, will implement a community-based learning approach where teachers will be mapped with learners to offer learning at no cost.
The TSC will provide guidelines on the implementation of the programme.
However, he assured learners and the staff that a rigorous programme is in place to monitor the Covid-19 situation in the country and will keep informing the country on the best steps to take to ensure normal operations within the sector resume when safety of learners and staff can be guaranteed.
