This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
As the country prepares to reopen learning institutions in September, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has hinted that Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions and universities may have a higher chance of reopening in shifts before primary and secondary schools.
Speaking in Kisumu on Friday, Prof Magoha cited infrastructural challenges and congestion as major hurdles in the reopening of primary and secondary schools.
“The TVET institutions, as we have looked at them, have a much better chance in terms of getting social distancing. Like universities, they offer various courses and can adjust their programmes and open in shifts much more easily than the primary and secondary schools,” Prof Magoha said when he met TVET principals from the Western region.
He added that mask production was no longer a headache as there was assurance from TVET Principal Secretary Julius Juan that the institutions can make their own.
Prof Magoha emphasized that reopening learning institutions will largely be dictated by the prevailing Covid-19 status, and that it would be impossible to continue with the plan if cases will still be high.
“As a physician, I will tell you according to my training, we should open after we have reached the peak and stabilised and started coming down for 14 days continuously,” he said.
On Wednesday, Prof Magoha said the Health ministry had advised that each classroom have a maximum of 20 learners and suggested erecting tents to accommodate the learners in view of infrastructural challenges in most schools.
However, school heads who spoke to the Saturday Nation said this was not practical.
