Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has said students will not be allowed to carry large quantities of sanitizers to schools.
The CS has observed that sanitizers have large alcoholic content and learners may opt to misuse the sanitizer instead of using it for intended purposes.
Magoha’s statement comes at a time when some schools’ administrations have instructed parents to ensure their children carry sanitizers to school during reopening time.
Magoha noted that large quantities like five litres of sanitizers should not be allowed in schools saying students are innovative and they may mess with the disinfectants.
“What we want children to have during reopening time is masks. The learners must have masks and they will use water at schools to wash their hands,” said the CS at Kiangochi Secondary school in Murang’a on Saturday when he visited the institution to inspect the progress on delivery of desks.
Further, Magoha said about 7 million learners are set to benefit from face masks that will be distributed by the government.
The CS observed that the masks are bought by the government with support of other partners including UNICEF, Kenya Red Cross and Kenya Commercial Bank among other organizations.
He noted that the masks will only benefit the learners from poor backgrounds asking parents who are capable to ensure their children have masks before reporting back to schools.
Magoha castigated those who are calling for postponement of reopening of schools citing shortage of masks among the learners saying masks for the poor children will be available and parents will also support the policy on ensuring every child has a mask.
“When the government opened learning for three classes, the issue of masks was not a big issue and we don’t expect there will be a big problem in ensuring all learners have masks. Parents have helped in ensuring they have masks for their children,” he added.
On delivery of desks under the economic stimulus programme, Magoha noted that by the first week of reopening of schools, they expect that all the desks being made through contracts by the government will have been delivered to schools.
He added that the artisans who were contracted to make the furniture are already receiving their payments and thus by Tuesday, they are expected to deliver the remaining desks.
The CS reiterated his opinion that teachers can consider teaching under trees so as to help in attaining the required physical distance among the learners.
All learners are expected to start streaming back to schools from Monday for the second term with the CS calling upon parents to prepare their children for learning and avoid listening to those who want reopening postponed.
By Bernard Munyao
