Education CS George Magoha has urged Principals in technical colleges to put up Covid – 19 measures as stipulated by WHO and the Ministry of Health before the reopening slated for September.
Speaking in Mosoriot Teachers Training College Friday while on a tour to ascertain the preparedness of the college for reopening, Magoha noted that the lecture rooms and the hostels were in good shape to house the learners but the kitchen needed a complete overhaul.
“I’ve gone round the lecture rooms, hostels, kitchen and dining hall, the first two are well set up and ready to serve the students only requiring more water points to be put in place and sensor sanitizers be placed at vantage points for easy reach by the users”, said Magoha.
The CS pointed out that the kitchen required tiles to make cleaning easy and the walls needed repainting while the kitchen sinks should be completely made up with additional hand washing water points and sanitizers for the cooks.
“The dining hall table should be large enough and used by four students at each meal time, seats to be marked to indicate where one sits and sanitisers placed at the entry point,” he explained.
On reopening of primary and secondary schools, Magoha said that the decisions made were momentary and should the situation change, the ministry was prepared to move forward with the normal learning calendar.
The CS said that the school fees for first term was already used up and if parents had paid full fees for the year, the balance would be carried forward to the next terms fees.
However he said, if the Principals have utilized part of the funds in putting up measures to guard learners against Covid-19 in preparation for reopening, they should hold meetings with the Parents Teachers Associations to chat the way forward.
Magoha meanwhile urged teachers in both private and public schools to continue guiding their learners through online lessons in order to engage them.
“We did not put a stop to learning. We only halted face to face meeting to protect our learners from being infected by Covid-19,” he stressed.
Magoha who was accompanied by Education PS Belio Kipsang said they had already visited Tambach TTC and would proceed to Kibabii, Eregi and Ugenya Saturday.
On her part the college Principal Miriam Koech informed the team that the college has set up a response committee chaired by her Deputy in readiness for any eventuality.
“We have set aside an isolation room and we also have a medical facility in the compound for immediate response,” she said.
Established in 1960, the college sits on 23 acres of land and has 379 students, 41 teaching and 40 non-teaching staff.
Most of the buildings are old and a few need refurbishments but the college has set up a new tuition complex worth Sh74.3 million funded by MOE that is 90 % complete.
By Bethsheba Abuya
