Magoha calls meeting on school reopening

 The Ministry of Education has called for a crisis meeting tomorrow over the reopening of schools after headteachers warned that they are not ready yet.

The Monday meeting is expected to clear the confusion surrounding resumption of learning as Education CS George Magoha flip-flops on the issue.

The CS has accused the media of painting him as a flip-flopper.

Prof Magoha, in a letter seen by the Sunday Nation, has invited stakeholders to a meeting at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

“Following the presidential directive on convening a national consultative conference to chart Kenya’s post Covid-19 future, the stakeholders in the education sector need to deliberate and give their input on this critical issue,” reads the letter.

Reopening schools

But Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Kahi Indimuli said schools are not ready for reopening schools because no funds have been released to help them to prepare.

“Earlier proposals to reopen schools in October were rejected by the taskforce, we agreed schools to reopen in January 2021 for a fresh start,” said Mr Indimuli.

Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) chairman Nicholas Gathemia said they will be waiting to follow ministries directives.

“Once the agenda of the meeting is known, we shall give our position,” he said.

Kuppet secretary-general Akelo Misori said the meeting will review progress made ahead of the January 2021 reopening.

Open schools

“We are not going to discuss whether to open schools before the end of the year because that will interfere with the school calendar,” said Mr Misori.

He added, “What is on the ground is not encouraging as no efforts have been made to improve school infrastructure and install water in the institutions.”

Currently, the ministry officials have been going round primary and secondary schools accessing their preparedness to reopen.

Those invited to attend the meeting include the education task force response committee on Covid-19 chair Dr Sarah Ruto.

Others include Ministry of Education officials, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (Kuppet), Kessha, Kepsha, the Kenya Parents association, Universities Academic Staff union (Uasu), the Kenya Private Schools Association (Kpsa), Kenya Special Needs Heads Association and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).