The Ministry of Education headed by CS George Magoha has made changes to opening dates for colleges ahead of upcoming examinations in July.
In a circular, Principal Secretary Margaret Mwakima directed that online learning in all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges would kick off on Tuesday, April 6.
This was a review of an earlier set date of April 26.
She explained that the alteration was made in order to accommodate the upcoming Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) tests scheduled for July.
“Taking into consideration the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) exams due in July, the date for all TVET institutions to start online classes has been reviewed to April 6, “ read the circular.
To ensure smooth running of the institution, Mwakima, who is the TVET PS, noted that strategies had been put in place by the ministry.
The strategies include ratification of TVET Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL) policy and National Learning Management System (LMS) to institutionalise the use of ODeL.
Others are the National TVET Resource Repository and capacity building of trainers on ODel.
Soon after President Uhuru Kenyatta halted all physical learning activities sparing only KCPE and KCSE candidates on March 26, the ministry initially directed that all online learning activities in TVETs were to begin on April 26.
Uhuru halted the physical learning activities in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 virus whose third wave has proved to be more lethal.
“In respect to education in Kenya there shall be an immediate suspension of all ongoing physical learning in all our institutions including universities and tertiary and vocational colleges, other than for candidates sitting for the examinations and those in medical training institutions until otherwise notified,” stated Kenyatta at the time.
Stakeholders in the academic sector, including Kenya National Union of Teachers boss Wilson Sossion, have, however, asked the state to find ways to reinstitute physical learning.
Sossion argued that prolonged holidays would highly likely harm students mentally.
