The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) on Tuesday, September 29, advised Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha on further measures that need to be taken ahead of the reopening of schools.
This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday failed to announce a definite date for resumption of learning, emphasising on the safety of students first.
Speaking during a press conference, KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori urged Magoha to ask Parliament to increase the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocation.
"The ball goes to the court of Education CS, he must get his act in together, are our schools ready for learning even if we gave them up to June 2021?
"Have we asked Parliament to reallocate funds for CDF, maybe increase it by even 3% so that our schools can be ready for learning?," he posed.
Misori also urged Magoha to establish criteria for assessing the preparedness of schools for reopening under the Ministry of Health protocols on containment of Covid-19.
The union leader did not take issue with the decision by the Teachers Service Commission to order teachers to report back to school by Monday, September 28.
"Our teachers were ready to report back to school. The presence of teachers in school should not be treated as a strange phenomenon.
"We are anticipating our schools to reopen for learning and when that happens you do not expect teachers to be at home," he added.
Kenyans raised questions about bars being reopened while schools still remain shut but Misori agreed with the president's explanation that safety of children had to be ascertained fully before deciding on when to reopen.
This came with a backdrop of the Ministry of Education announcing that final year students in all public universities and tertiary institutions are to report back to school on Monday, October 5.
