International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) on Monday, August 31 issued Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha with a number of reasons why he should reopen schools.
ICPC is subsidiary of Africa Council on Human Security (ACHS) which is a non-profit and non-partisan organisation founded in 2005 to create a platform to foster democratic, peaceful, secure and just societies in Africa and globally.
The Non-Governmental Organisation issued Magoha with 15 reasons why the government should resume classes as soon as possible.
The body echoed UNICEF's stand that children should return to schools as soon as possible because ‘evidence points to harm being done to children by not being in school.’
According to ICPC, there is evidence that, compared with adults, children are three-fold less susceptible to infection, more likely to be asymptomatic, and less likely to be hospitalized and die.
The Ministry of Education and Health needs to ensure that measures are in place to guarantee a child-friendly schools’ infrastructure to support widespread rapid screening, testing and cases management, getting children safely to and from schools, and safety precautions within schools with the aim to maximally limit movement.
Since schools closed back in March, ICPC argues that the decision posed a risk to children’s education and wellbeing, particularly for the most marginalised children who rely on school for their education, health, safety and nutrition.
With most of the caregivers having resumed work, there is an increased risk of child abuse, mental health breakdowns with rising rates of depression and anxiety with disadvantaged children at more risk.
The prolonged stay of children out of school is likely to have a permanent effect with some of the students at risk of never returning to school.
The closure of schools is likely to lead to the loss of a whole generation with students now exposed to violence, child labour and child marriage.
ICPC also argue that there is no data on the relative contribution of school closures to transmission control with Covid-19 modelling studies predict that school closures alone would prevent only 2-4% of deaths, much fewer than other social distancing interventions.
The organisation added that closing schools for Covid19 does lifelong harm to children and widens inequality. Primary and secondary are vital to the social mobility of children.
Aside from offering education, schools also provide nutrition, health and hygiene services; mental health and psychosocial support; and dramatically reduce the risk of violence, early pregnancy and more.
ICPC also offered solutions to the Ministry of Education with regards to resumption as providing adequate funding within a short time to get robust schools reopening robust preparation on top gear so as within a month schools start to reopen.
The government was also advised to mobilise initiatives such as Kazi Mtaani to rehabilitating and refurbishing public schools, building new prefab classes and desks using local materials and labour.
The government should put in place a strategy that ensures continuity of disinfection and fumigation of facilities including hostel accommodation, with particular attention on those used as temporary isolation and treatment centres.
Magoha was urged to integrate Health officials to work with teachers, parents, schools’ administrators and national/county governments’ officials to kick start training and putting in place health protocols, a child-friendly schools’ infrastructure to support screening, rapid testing, isolation and case management is needed, health and safety precautions within schools with the aim to maximally limit movement, and getting children safely to and from schools.
National and County governments were urged to develop a cooperation and partnership framework for long term investment in the development and rehabilitation of public schools especially primary and secondary across the country.
