EDUCATION: COVID-19 POSITIVE TEACHERS TO STAY AT HOME AS MINISTRY PREPARES TO ROLL OUT MANDATORY TESTS AHEAD OF SCHOOLS’ REOPENING
The latest news reaching our media team now indicates that all tutors in Kenya must be scheduled for mandatory Covid-19 tests ahead of schools’ reopening date in September.
The CS reiterated this as he was advising TTC principals on some of the measures to be undertaken to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus upon reopening.
According to CS Magoha, mandatory covid-19 tests for all teachers is one of the measures that can contain the spread of the virus.
He said this today at the Kenya School of Government in Embu County.
“We must test all the teachers before they go to class. They are not many, but if a teacher is Covid-19 positive, he or she has to stay at home,” said the CS.
The CS further added that the process may be a bit tedious given the limited time remaining before September versus the high number of teachers.
Another key challenge that is likely to surface is the high cost of testing and treatment of covid-19 patients.
The education ministry has been giving clues about the reopening of learning institutions as from September 1 as earlier directed by the President.
However, with the ever-increasing positive cases, reopening of congested primary and secondary schools seems unlikely.
Last month, the CS advised the President not to officially reopen primary and secondary schools when the virus was still surging.
“I will advise not to reopen schools when the infections from the disease are still on the rise. We propose that school clusters be attached to a health facility before we open,” said the CS during his presentation at a virtual meeting with state dignitaries.
NEW KCSE, KCPE EXAM DATES
Another consultative meeting that brought together key education stakeholders at the KICD also backed CS Magoha’s philosophy about extending the reopening date until virus cases start reducing for14 consecutive days.
The participants proposed that schools reopen in January 2021 while KCSE and KCPE national exams to be done at the end of the year 2021.
If this idea is adopted then learners may be forced to wait for six more months before resuming studies.
Technical and Vocational Education Training Institutions are likely to resume in September while Teacher Training Colleges are expected to reopen in October.