This archive report was first published on 27 April 2020.
Kenya's Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has extended the school closure by a month, citing the need to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The decision affects over 15 million learners who will stay at home for another month before the government reassesses the situation.
On Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the cessation of movement into and out of counties with high incidences of COVID-19 by a further 21 days.
Prof Magoha emphasized that the national examinations are on schedule, and every Kenyan child will have the opportunity to cover any lost time before the examination is administered.
Concerns have been raised about the fate of the examinations following the disruption to the school calendar, which has seen candidates lose valuable contact time with their teachers.
However, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has stepped in to offer radio and TV lessons, while also providing more learning materials on the Kenya Education Cloud.
Some private schools have organized online classes for their learners, and many have announced that the virtual schools will open next week.
Prof Magoha said the extension of the school closure is meant to allow the country to heal from the spread of COVID-19 disease.
"In the interest of the safety and lives of our children, the government has decided to extend school closure for one month effective from the date of opening," Prof Magoha announced on Sunday.
Already, several private schools and international schools are offering e-learning programmes at a fee, while parents have been complaining that the e-learning programmes offered by schools are ineffective.
Teachers unions have asked the government to ensure schools are safe for students and are well prepared to combat the spread of COVID-19 before a decision is made to re-open them.
