The Ministries of Health and Education are in advanced talks over the mass reopening of schools amidst a spike in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Education CS George Magoha and his Health colleague CS Mutahi Kagwe are pushing forward with the back to school plan on the premise that students will be most affected by staying longer at home rather than being in school.
Additionally, officials in the Health Ministry have also given a green light for the reopening of schools based on new data after cancelling an earlier reopening plan presented by the Education Ministry.
Magoha, on Thursday, November 29 disclosed that stakeholders in the two ministries will hold a meeting with a concrete outcome either Monday, November 2 or Tuesday, November 3. A final decision on the resumption of studies for all other classes will be made on Wednesday, November 4.
Health Acting Director-General Patrick Amoth stated that the new data indicated that children between the age of 10 and 19 years have the mildest form of Coronavirus and are unlikely to spread it as highly as was initially thought.
The Ministry is worried that the delayed mass reopening of schools will affect the transitioning of students especially for Grade 5 and Form 1 students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
"Students will be safe in schools and will also grow to achieve their full potential for the economic development of the country.
"If Covid persists for five more years, are we going to close schools? No, we can come up with more measures to protect our students," Amoth added.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to attend the meeting to seal the decision made and offer his way forward.
Kenya is also looking up to other African countries which have fully reopened schools. Magoha only allowed Grade 4, Form 4 and Class 8 students to resume studies in preparation for national exams.
This development comes two days after High Court judge Justice John Makau ruled that he will decide whether schools reopen or not after a parent sued Magoha on the matter.
According to the parent, Magoha's reasons to delay the re-opening of schools were not sufficient as he keeps shifting his stand on the issue.
Magoha has constantly reiterated that schools will not be closed despite the country experiencing a second wave of the virus. He also warned school heads from recalling all other students to class without a directive from his ministry.
