Education news: MOE Official learning hours to be extended when schools reopen, CS Magoha
Over 15 million Kenyan learners will have to be psychologically prepared for longer learning hours to recover lost time once schools reopen.
In a statement to the Parliamentary education committee yesterday, CS Education Magoha said that the August school holidays will have to be shortened by two weeks while half term will be shortened for four days to recover the seven weeks lost following the total shut down of schools in Mid-March.
Magoha’s statement shows they had postponed the reopening of schools by one month to June 4 resulting in a loss of seven weeks of learning.
“The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic led to the closure of schools on March 15, three weeks earlier than scheduled. The ministry has further extended the second term by one month from May 4,” said Magoha.
CBC Curriculum Roll-Out
CS Magoha who was expected to appear before the Parliamentary Education Committee yesterday expressed fears that the roll-out of the second phase of the Competency-Based Curriculum, CBC for Grade five learners could be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Similarly, the monitoring of Pre-primary one up to grade four levels of the new curriculum scheduled to take place by March 2020 was stopped following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
KICD Radio and TV lessons
The CS further indicated that the MOE is using 20 regional radio stations besides KBC TV and radio to air lessons for learners.
Every Friday KICD develops weekly radio and television transmission schedules for the program.
Here is the KICD timetable for KBC
KCSE and KCPE NATIONAL EXAM DATES
CS Magoha said that even as the Ministry continues to monitor the situation to see how things unfold, the dates for the 2020 KCSE and KCPE national exams remain unchanged.
From where the MOE stands, there is no need of postponing national exams.
SCHOOLS BEING USED AS CORONAVIRUS ISOLATION CENTRES
A total of 460 educational institutions had been set aside to be used as covid-19 isolation centers.
These include 25 universities, 36 KMTC campuses, 28 Teachers Training Colleges, and 331 secondary schools.
They were picked based on their proximity to treatment facilities for easier management of Covid- 19 and availability of boarding facilities.
“The selection of the schools followed criteria that prioritized boarding facilities and proximity to the treatment facilities for covid-19 for ease of management.”
Fumigation of School Buildings
The CS said that the Ministry of Health will fumigate all buildings currently being used as coronavirus isolation centers before handing them back to the Ministry of Education.
The closure of schools for long might have far-reaching negative effects especially among poor households including exposure to pornographic materials, drug, and substance abuse, increased gender-based violence, and rape.
Learners with special needs face greater challenges such as neglect, abuse and segregation leading to loneliness and depression.
The report also indicated that some learners may fail to reopen schools completely as they may be tapped into other commitments such as early pregnancy and marriage by the time schools reopen.
