This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, Kenya's Education Ministry is preparing for the worst-case scenario. In the next two weeks, the ministry will release possible school calendar scenarios, with the safety of students being the top priority.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha emphasized that the safety of children is paramount, even if it means pushing back national examinations and reopening schools to next year.
Appearing before the National Assembly Education and Research committee, Prof Magoha stated that the fate of forthcoming exams will be decided by an inter-ministerial committee, not solely by his ministry.
"If children are going to stay at home for one year, so be it, because they are safe there. The exams can be done next year," Magoha said.
Prof Magoha also hinted that the government may shorten the second term and August holidays, as well as increase learning hours, to recover lost learning time due to the pandemic.
However, he maintained that the government had not yet made plans to postpone national examinations.
"The behaviour of this disease is unpredictable. Do not ask me the specifics dates when we are going to re-open schools. The pandemic must be put under control first and is what will inform our decision in the two weeks when we give possible scenarios," he said.
