TEACHERS TO UNDERGO COVID-19 TESTING AHEAD OF SCHOOLS REOPENING; EDUCATION NEWS

TEACHERS TO UNDERGO COVID-19 TESTING AHEAD OF SCHOOLS REOPENING; EDUCATION NEWS

Teachers will have to undergo coronavirus testing before they resume school in September 2020.

According to CS Magoha, the state is considering the possibility of all teachers who will resume work in September getting tested for the Coronavirus.

“We are considering whether all teachers, who will resume work in September, will undergo Covid-19 tests,” said Magoha.

Capacity to test

This announcement comes as questions emerged on whether all learners will also be forced to undergo tests since they will be working in the same environment as teachers.

Even as the Ministry is pondering over this matter, the major concern now is whether the Ministry of Health has the testing capacity considering that most schools are overpopulated.

Besides testing, the MoH has also advised the education ministry to organize for learners’ transportation to prevent further spread.

Face masks and sanitizers should also be provided to ensure regular change of protective gear.

The CS said this as he was inspecting the production of 24 million masks that will be delivered to schools in August ahead of schools’ reopening.

CS Magoha said the Ministry has already engaged five mask manufacturers among them the National Youth Service, NYS to produce the masks.

The Ministry is yet to decide whether the pupils in pre-primary one and pre-primary two will also be expected to put on masks.

“We will soon reach a consensus on whether the pupils in pre-primary one and two will wear masks,” he added.

The CS also said that learners in special schools will be given transparent masks for protection.

Unfortunately, learners in private schools will not be given masks since the Government has no budget for them.

Learning in Shifts

Medics have advocated for learning in shifts in day schools since the government may not have enough funds for building more classrooms.

“Some schools do not have enough space to allow redistribution of learners to the recommended two meters rule in and out of class,” said the experts.

With schools having been closed for almost three months now, all eyes are set on the new CBC curriculum implementation in Kenya.

CS Magoha has assured parents of a smooth transition to grade five amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.