This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
On July 18, 2020, Education CS George Magoha announced that learners in basic education institutions would not progress to the next class in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The declaration was met with varied reactions from learners, parents, teachers, and other education stakeholders.
As a school principal and father of two candidates, the author found the announcement heart-wrenching, especially since candidates were at different stages of preparing for national examinations before the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in all spheres of life, making it difficult to decisively hunt down and drive out the invisible beast.
As a parent and teacher, the author agrees that it would be reckless to recall learners at the peak of a pandemic, but emphasizes the importance of parents taking an active role in educating their children during the break.
Parents should invest time and energy in educating their children on pertinent issues such as gender and sexuality, responsible digital citizenship, prudent use of the internet, drug and substance abuse, and mental health.
Communal parenting would make it possible for parents to facilitate this, and the author is confident that it will be possible to help learners recover academically when schools reopen in January.
However, success will depend on the state of the learners that return to schools, which in turn will depend on what parents do with their children during the break.
A lost academic year is not the worst thing that could happen to us; a generation lost to idleness and mischief with their concomitant effects will be the worst of it all.
The writer is the principal of Strathmore School.
