By Amoto Ndiewo
The third term in the 2021 school calendar has come to an end without hitches witnessed in the first and second term, fulfilling the prayers of many head teachers when schools recently closed to reopen on 25th April 2022 for first term of the 2022 calendar year.
According to Abdirizak Hussein, Garissa KNUT Secretary, the year 2021 was quite demanding for both teachers and students alike.
“The tutors had to cover a heavy workload in a relatively short time,’’ said Hussein who also mentioned that the ten month Covid-19 break messed up with the education calendar, giving teachers and students a lot of pressure to recover lost time.
The pressure, he said had far reaching effects as many teachers believe was the casue of indiscipline cases that rocked many schools during the first two terms of 2021.
“I thank God the crush programed academic year is behind us since the unrest witnessed in first two terms of that year saw lots of losses in school property ,’’ said Jeff Mwangi, a teacher in Garissa.
Mwangi says the massive workload placed on the young minds to catch up the lost time threatened to tear apart their moral fabric in November, adding that the Ministry of Education had no way but to have a human face by introducing a half term break.
“Such an adjustment worked and co curriculum activities which were suspended were reintroduced,” said Mwangi.
Martin Ofwete, a teacher says that the depressed economy, loss of businesses and jobs and the rising cost of living shooting through the roofs due to the adverse effects of Covid-19 has been tough on parents when schools resumed.
“Besides the unprecedented predicaments, principals were faced with the government’s directive not to send students home for non-payment of school fees,’’ added Sam Obunga of Seme Secondary School in Nyanza, adding that it managing schools proved to be an uphill task as some parent took advantage of the directive then chose not to pay the fees.
