CS MAGOHA TO ANNOUNCE A NEW SCHOOL (ACADEMIC) CALENDAR BY TOMORROW, JULY 8, 2020; EDUCATION NEWS

CS MAGOHA TO ANNOUNCE A NEW SCHOOL (ACADEMIC) CALENDAR BY TOMORROW, JULY 8, 2020; EDUCATION NEWS

Education CS has been directed to announce the new school calendar within the next 24 hours. This means that the new term dates will be available by Tuesday, July 8, 2020.

The directive was given by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his speech on the state of covid-19 on Monday, July 6, 2020.

The President categorically stated that the new school calendar should cut across all learning institutions.

This, therefore, means that the CS will have to provide a new 2020 academic calendar for primary, secondary, and tertiary learning institutions.

“The Ministry of Education shall today but not later than tomorrow avail a new school calendar for all learning institutions across the country,” said the President.

On Monday, July 6, 2020, CS Magoha was in a consultative meeting that brought together officials from the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, KESSHA, and the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association, KEPSHA on the next course of action.

Sources within the meeting indicate that tertiary institutions, KCPE and KCSE candidates are likely to be given priority.

Last week, the CS hinted on the possibility of reopening TVET institutions and TTCs very soon.

The education ministry has also set irreducible minimums to be met before learners resume studies. Some of these include the provision of thermo guns for monitoring the temperature of learners and staff, provision of masks, clean running water for regular hand washing among others.

All teachers will also have to undergo mandatory testing for the novel coronavirus before resuming duty.

Consequently, teachers who test positive for covid-19 will have to remain at home until they are clear of the virus.

MANDATORY TESTING

CS Magoha’s announcement in Embu yesterday that all teachers will have to undergo mandatory testing before resuming duty has however attracted mixed reactions with the majority of the teachers criticizing the move.

Responding to the tweet by the ministry of education, teachers could not stop wondering why it is only them who should be subjected to mandatory testing.

Some sarcastically insinuated that it seems that it is only teachers who were capable of transmitting the virus while others called upon the ministry to come up with teachers’ quarters in every school to ensure that movements and interactions are restricted.

Other teachers were of the idea that it is the learners who should be tested given that some of them have been all over hunting for the virus and other bonuses like pregnancies.

TESTING KITS

The most sensational issue that was brought up touched on the availability of testing kits and the high cost.

Some Mathematicians quickly analyzed the MOH’s data and dismissed CS Magoha’s words as empty for there is no way over 300,000 TSC teachers can be tested within the given timeframe.

According to the MOH, approximately 180, 000 samples have been tested since Mid-March when the first case of coronavirus was reported. How can the education ministry test over 300, 000 teachers before September?