This archive report was first published on 6 June 2020.
Kenya's education sector is set to resume normalcy in September as the government plans to re-open schools after a five-month closure due to COVID-19.
On June 6, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that schools would re-open on September 1, with the Education Ministry working closely with health experts to develop a new calendar by mid-August.
"Following stakeholder's consultations in the education sector – the Ministry of Education jointly with the Ministry of Health will issue and publicize guidelines on a gradual and progressive return to normalcy in the education sector by the Third Term, from 1st September 2020," the president said in an address from State House.
President Kenyatta emphasized that the decision to re-open schools was not a dilemma between right and wrong, but rather a choice between two rights.
However, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha had expressed concerns about re-opening schools too soon, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic is still spiking. Nobody has re-opened schools when the disease is still spiking. South Korea and Israel did everything right, re-opened schools and were forced to close when the disease started killing students," Magoha said.
