Schools Reopening: Magoha to announce reopening dates for the other learners this coming week, check out the new dates proposed below

The 10-member special task force created by Education CS George Magoha has advised that all students report to school on Monday October 26.

Bingo! There is hope at last for learners who cannot stomach the idea of repeating classes next year.

If the latest recommendations given by the Dr. Sara Ruto led taskforce are anything to go by, then all learners will for sure report back to their schools between October 26 and November 2.

They shall then break for one week to enjoy Christmas and happy new year celebrations before commencing the next term.

Under the latest recommendation, learners in pre-primary 1 and 2, grades one to three, classes five to seven as well as those in form 1 to 3  will report back to school between October 26 to November 2.

This is the same task force whose submissions culminated in teachers being ordered back to school by the Education CS after being formed on May 12 to advise the education ministry on how best schools can be reopened.

Education system to normalize by December 2021

KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion has given his input saying that the education system will normalize by December 2021.

“With the new proposals, the education system in Kenya will normalise by end of December 2021,” KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion stated.

The team is chaired by the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) Chairperson Dr. Sarah Ruto.

Other members of the taskforce include: Chairman, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association Indimuli Kahi, Chairman, Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association Nicholas Gathemia, CEO, Kenya Private Schools Association Peter Ndoro and Chairman, Kenya Parents Association Nicholas Maiyo.

Also in the team are Augustine Muthigani of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Jane Mwangi of Kenya Association for Independent International Schools, National Council of Churches of Kenya’s Nelson Makanda, Muslim Education Council’s Sheikh Munawar Khan and Chairman, Kenya Special Schools Heads Association Peter Sitienei.

New School Calendar

The Ministry of Education announced Monday, October 12, as the opening date for Grade 4, Class 8 and Form Four students.

The second term will take junst 11 weeks, with schools closing on December 23. It will be a short holiday for the candidates and Grade Four learners as they are expected to resume classes on January 4, 2021.

In his press statement, CS Magoha also revealed the new school calendar.

“KCPE examinations to start on March 22, 2021 and end on March 24, 2021. KCSE exams are scheduled to start on March 25, 2021 and end on April 16, 2021,” reads an excerpt from his statement.

Students pictured during a lesson.
Students pictured during a lesson.

File

On October 9, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced that 337,432 tutors had reported back to schools ahead of reopening on , October 12.

TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia went on to assure parents that strict Covid-19 containment measures had been put in place in readiness for the students return.

Some of the measures and protocols include mandatory use of face masks, monitoring of body temperature and observance of high levels of hygiene.

On October 7, two activists in Homa Bay filed a petition in court seeking to suspend the phased reopening of schools planned from Monday next week.

In their petition, Michael Kojo and Evance Oloo claimed many schools had not established necessary measures to ensure the spread of Covid-19 is minimised.

The case was filed before Homa Bay Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Obutu on Wednesday who certified it as urgent.

A day later, High Court judge Kimani Ndung’u ordered that schools reopen only after adhering to all Covid-19 protocols.

CS Magoha is expected to officially announce the reporting dates for the rest of the classes in the coming week.