Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has told off leaders who are politicizing reopening of schools slated for Monday next week.
Magoha on Wednesday said the government has done everything possible to facilitate resumption of learning in the country despite persistence of afew challenges.
He observed that some leaders are citing lack of attaining social distance as one major challenge that should halt reopening of schools saying the problem is not only in Kenya but in the entire world.
“I admit there will be a challenge in attaining the social distance requirement but that should not hold us back from reopening schools. Let our teachers and parents be innovative and create more space even if it is under trees and ensure learning goes on,” said the CS.
Magoha spoke when he toured Mjini Primary school near Murang’a town as part of continuous inspection on preparedness of schools before reopening of learning institutions next week.
He asked parents to stop listening to politicians who are discouraging the reopening of schools reiterating that on Monday, learners will start going back to schools.
“Parents should prepare their children to go back and stop listening to cheap politics. Schools will reopen as planned. What is needed is to ensure the learners have masks and we appeal to parents to support us in ensuring their children have masks,” he added.
Some people, he said are just criticising the government without offering any solution to the matters concerning education. The government, Magoha added, is ready to distribute masks especially to needy children saying a proper system will be used to identify children from poor backgrounds.
“The masks we will distribute will not go to every child but those needy cases. Our officers are on ground to identify children to be given priority as far as masks are concerned,” Magoha stated.
On fee policy, the CS asked teachers to go a step forward and identify indigent children and give them necessary assistance saying no child should be sent home because of lack of fees.
“Let teachers allow all children access to schools. The school principals should understand cases of needy children and assist them to proceed with learning,” he added saying the government is working out to wire Sh19 billion to schools by Monday next week.
The money, he stressed should be used for intended purposes saying Sh14 billion will go to secondary schools and the rest to primary schools.
He further asked teachers to take extra attention on children with special needs especially this time the country is faced by Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile the CS revealed that there are some individuals who are planning to disrupt and halt preparations of national examinations saying they will not succeed.
“National examinations will be administered as planned. Those who are planning to disrupt the process are doomed to fail. Many schools are already through with syllabus and nothing will stop administering the examination,” he added.
Magoha further noted that delivery of desks under the economic stimulus programme is going on well noting, in some counties all desks have been delivered.
By Bernard Munyao
