Sep 30, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — Kenyan Education Secretary, Prof George Magoha, has announced a progressive reopening of universities and tertiary institutions for in-person classroom learning commencing from Monday, October 5th, 2020.
“Following broad-based consultations, the Ministry of Education notifies the public that the progressive re-opening of education institutions will start with the re-opening of universities and tertiary institutions with effect from Monday 5 October, 2020,” he outlined in an advisory dispatched to newsrooms on Tuesday evening.
Final year students in all universities and their constituent colleges will make up the first phase of school reopening.
Examination classes of Teachers Training Colleges (TTC) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) should also report on Monday with priority being accorded to the students undertaking practical courses.
The mandate to decide on when the rest of the students will resume for in-person learning classes was left to the institutions’ boards.
The advisory went on to advise that these institutions must adhere to covid-19 guidelines including monitoring body temperatures, handwashing/sanitizing, social distancing and ensuring everyone puts on facemasks while within the premises.
According to the advisory, all institutions must be linked to a health facility and those institutions that used to be quarantine centers must be fumigated under the supervision from the ministry of health.
On Monday, Kenyans highly anticipated the announcement from President Kenyatta during the 12th Covid-19 conference but he failed to reopen the schools stating that schools can only be reopened after ensuring that the safety of the learners is guaranteed.
“Learning institutions should only be reopened when we have and can sufficiently guarantee the safety of all our children. Let us not focus on when schools will reopen but on how they will reopen.” He said.